A Mambo Between Mates
by SilverLinedApathy
Summary: Sequel to The Dance of Two Hearts. Mai and Hiei were caught off guard by a mysterious foe. How will this affect their relationship? How will they handle this new enemy? Are there even more adversaries waiting in the wings? Rated for language and situations. HieixOC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here it is! The first chapter to the sequel of The Dance of Two Hearts! I am sorry it's taken so long (a month and half, I think?) but I took a little break to gather some ideas and to get a stock pile of chapters going so that I can update regularly for at least a little bit. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter of Dance and I hope that this story does not disappoint. I could go on for a while in this note, but considering the outrage at the cliff hanger at the end of my last story, I will just let you get the answers to all the questions I left. Please review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the related terminology, characters, etc. I only own my OCs.

* * *

She could feel it.

All of it.

Long, filthy nails skimming over her skin. Oily, stringy orange hair dragging across her cheek and between her breasts as a greedy, coarse tongue explored her torso. The tickling, tingly feeling of the paralysis serum flowing through her veins. She could even feel the pebbles and the slippery old banana peel under her back where she was pinned to the ground and a set of hungry eyes on all of her most private parts. But there was one thing so strong that it nearly overshadowed everything else she could feel.

Fear.

Strangely enough, as she heard the zipper on his pants being pulled downward, she realized she had heard nothing for quite some time. It was as if cotton swabs had been stuffed in her ears, blocking out everything that may have distracted her from what was happening. But that one noise sent her heart into overdrive, terror pumping adrenaline fast and hard throughout her body.

Suddenly, she was plunged into a whole new world of sensations.

The nails that before had only skimmed now sank into her skin; she could feel blood budding to the surface and running down over the curve of her hips. Sweat pattered onto her face, bringing an awful stench to her nose. She wished paralysis was synonymous with numb. Her insides felt as if they were being torn apart, the slam of clumsy hips with no thought to her comfort was doubtless leaving contusions on her fair skin. Her body was rocking with the force of his movement, the skin of her back scraping against the dirty pavement and being torn up by jagged pebbles.

But gods, nothing was worse than the feeling of hot liquid being released inside of her. As she looked up into the face of the nightmare which had plagued her for so many years, all she could see was the cruelty of selfish use; that's all it was. She had been used – violated – purely for the benefit of the monster before her. And as he laughed and turned to walk away, the helplessness and the feeling of vulnerability which had overcome her since falling to the ground grew. Because there she lay, stranded in the middle of an alleyway, unable to move and bare to the world…

"Shh, koi, it's okay; nothing is here that can hurt you."

Hiei nuzzled his nose against Mai's neck. He had sat up and pulled her into his lap as soon as she started whimpering. Her honey waves tumbled over his shoulder as he tucked her beneath his chin as she began to scream. The fire apparition was at a loss for what to do. He didn't want to shake her at all, lest it remind her of the incident she was surely having nightmares about. It had only been a couple of days and everything was still fresh in her mind.

_Although,_ he thought with a frown, _I think this will always haunt her._

Pushing the angering thoughts aside, he held his mate tighter as her screams began to quiet and all that was left to remind her of the dream were the tears running in torrents down her cheeks. He cooed softly in her ear, whispering words of comfort and sweet nothings. She clung to him, just as desperately as she had the night it happened. Her fingers clutched at his shirt, taking as much of it into her palm as she could. Her continued sobs brought on a pang that rang in his chest. His mouth ran dry and he was almost shaking with a mixture of fury and powerlessness. There was nothing he could think to do for her, no way to take away the pain. All he could do was be there with her as she suffered.

As she settled down and her tears had slowed, Hiei settled her back beneath the covers. He stayed right beside her, letting her back rest against his side.

So much had changed.

Koenma had been alerted almost immediately. He had so far been unsuccessful at narrowing down who the culprit could be from the description Hiei provided via Mai's memories. She couldn't talk about it – she barely spoke at all anymore. She also couldn't stand to be alone. He could still hold her, and she often craved the feeling of it, but she now recoiled from his touch if he was not wearing a shirt. It was too much skin, and she didn't well even when he wore his tanktops. Thus, the fire apparition had taken to donning long sleeved shirts despite his higher than average body temperature. Furthermore, Mai didn't want to leave her apartment; she had confined herself, not even venturing next door to see her other friends. Hiei knew they were concerned and figured they should expect a visit quite soon to check up on her. Especially from Yusuke, the Spirit Detective with a big brother complex. When he was honest with himself, the dark haired male dreaded the inevitable visit. He had no clue how Mai would react, but was quite sure it would not be terribly positive. Each night was mostly sleepless for both of them now, as well. Every time Mai fell asleep she dreamt of the attack. And every night Hiei lay beside her, heart breaking at her pain and drowning in guilt that he was the cause of it all.

The brand she now sported, scarred forever on the center of her rib cage, was a crest. The red mark was not huge, but large enough to have discernible features. It signified a clan that the Jaganshi himself had never encountered, but which he knew of quite well. Beneath her sweatshirt he knew there was a burn in the shape of a phoenix. Its head was reared back, beak open in a triumphant call. Clutched between its clawed feet was a dragon, its limbs limp and neck twisted at a horrid angle. Its tongue stuck out, an almost cartoonish symbol of death. Visible behind the figure were swords crossed over each other in an "X." It was the sign of the Firebird clan, a group whose only mission in life was the eradication of the Beasts of Hell. Top on that list was the Dragon of the Darkness Flame.

He knew as soon as he had mastered the Dragon – as soon as he became the vessel for it to live in outside of the pits of the Reikai – that the clan would come after him. It took many years longer than he had expected, and when it didn't happen, he had let his cockiness convince him that they knew they wouldn't stand a chance, or maybe that their tracking skills were beneath him. Frankly, the matter simply hadn't concerned him. Back then, it was only himself he looked out for and no one else mattered enough.

But now he had a mate which mattered more than anything else in the world. That should have opened his eyes to all of the very real possibilities of old enemies making themselves known. Now he had everything to lose, something so much worse than just his life.

Falling back onto his pillow in a fit of self-hatred, all the fire demon wanted was to be able to go back and have been with Mai that night. To have prevented the horrors which would change her and hang over her for the rest of her life. Another terrible chapter of her life, written by him with a hand of carelessness.

As the blonde beside him began to stir restlessly once more, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his forehead to the nape of her neck as he continued to whisper words of safety and comfort to her.

* * *

"Koi, you need to eat something."

Mai looked up at her mate, wishing she could hide the exhaustion she knew was on her face. She knew she was keeping him up at night as well, but couldn't bear the thought of spending the night without him. Wordlessly, she accepted the half of an onion bagel he handed her. He placed the container of dairy free cream cheese in front of her with a knife, and she had to smile a little at how hard he was trying. After spreading the creamy white substance on her bagel, she took a bite and chewed on it thoroughly. Hiei sat across from her, a plain bagel with peanut butter in his hand. He looked apologetically down at the bagel, but they both knew it was good that he even learned to use the toaster. That had become necessary, though, after he had attempted to toast bread with the Mortal Flame. Mai didn't think she had ever seen such a blackened piece of toast, but had stomached the horrid breakfast regardless.

"I think that the fox and the two fools are coming over today."

The blonde nodded shortly, taking another nibble off her bagel in lieu of speaking.

"You know they are going to have to find out, right? They are going to be needed to-"

"I know, Hiei," she finally spoke up, her voice dry and raspy from lack of use. "Even if you felt they weren't needed, we both know Koenma would assign them to track down the Firebird clan."

He hummed an affirmation around the last bite of his own bagel. "Do you think you can tell them?"

"No," she muttered, her voice small and scared. "I still don't think I can say it."

Tears brimmed her eyes, a few falling. Hiei reached across the table for her hand, squeezing it tightly. "That's okay, you know."

"It… It's just a word b-but I-I can't…" she shook her head, eyes closing tightly. "I can't say it."

"It's okay, koi. You will be okay. Time," he promised.

She pushed her barely touched bagel across the table to him and stood up, heading in the direction of her room. A few moments later, the sound of the shower met his ears and he sighed. He was so lost with what to do.

* * *

"Yo, what's up, Shrimp?"

Hiei's eyebrow twitched slightly at Kuwabara's greeting. The orange haired human walked into Mai's apartment, heading to the living room.

"Where's my little sis?" Yusuke questioned, glancing around as he followed Kuwabara.

Kurama stepped to the side of the door and shut it behind him. Leaning down closer to Hiei's height, he asked in a hushed voice, "Is everything alright?"

The fire demon merely shook his head and frowned. Kurama nodded, knowing they would soon be learning something that was clearly important. The two demons made their way into the living room where Yusuke was seated in an armchair, Kuwabara on the couch. Kurama took the other end of the couch, leaving Hiei with the chair on the far side of the room by the window.

As the other three males chatted idly, Hiei listened for the sound of Mai padding down the hall. When the noise finally came, he let out a small sigh of relief that she had still felt able to see other people.

Mai froze for a second upon entering the room. Her breath caught in her chest before she reminded herself that these were her friends – that they were like brothers. Nonetheless she tried to slip quickly across the room to Hiei, where she knew she would feel more at ease. But only half way across the room, a hand closed unexpectedly around her wrist.

Yusuke pulled his hand back, alarmed at the scream Mai had let out when he had touched her. Hiei flitted to her and pulled her against him, hiding her face against his chest. His fingers combed through her hair and he muttered words no one else could hear. The small woman was trembling horribly as the other three males looked on wide-eyed.

Hiei pulled Mai back to his chair, settling her in his lap. He could feel her face aflame with embarrassment and frustration against his already warm skin as she settled into the crook of his neck.

"W-what just happened?" Kuwabara asked.

The Jaganshi looked around at his comrades. Mai squeezed the handful of his shirt she grasped harder, and he took it as a sign to just go for it. "The other night, Mai was raped."

The silence that filled the room was the longest the group had ever experienced together.

"No fucking way," Yusuke mumbled in disbelief. "Kazai is dead, I-"

"It was in no way related to that," Hiei explained. His right hand moved absently in circles over his mate's back as she trembled against him. "It was a warning. A warning directed at me."

Kurama's eyes narrowed sharply, knowing that any enemy of Hiei's was a great danger. "A foe from the past? A new one?"

"Both in a way," the shorter male replied. "It was a henchman of the Firebird clan."

"Who the hell are they?"

"Yeah, I've never even heard of 'em before!"

"Not surprising," Kurama began. "They have no interaction at all with the ningenkai; it doesn't concern them. The Firebird clan is an ancient group devoted to eliminating the Beasts from Hell - the powerful monsters from the pits of Spirit World that thrive on the dark flames of hell. There was the Sphinx, the Thunderbird, the Namazu, the Kraken and the Cobra. But the most deadly was their leader, the Dragon."

"Of the Darkness Flame," Yusuke inferred, crossing his arms moodily.

"Yes," Hiei spoke up again. "As I have heard, all of the beasts have been slain or at least contained by the clan except for the Dragon."

"Why do they wanna destroy them if they're so powerful?" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama turned to the orange haired human and answered, "Legends have it that someday the Beasts will be strong enough to unite and bring on the apocalypse. Most know it is simple superstition from a time where we did not know as much as we do today. The powers of the universe do not seek its end; people do. But the clan does not believe it."

"Well with all the others outta the way, why do they gotta worry about the Dragon still?"

"They fear the Dragon is powerful enough to free the other Beasts," Hiei answered.

"So what does all this legend crap gotta do with what happened?"

The fire demon took a breath, trying to sustain his emotionless, guilt-free façade. "The Dragon was never an attainable kill for them; they could not venture into the darkest depths of the Spirit World. But I was able to summon it and eventually master it. The Dragon lives within me and is part of me."

"So now that they can get to it, they are coming after you," Kurama filled in the blanks.

"Yes," he nodded. "They kill me, the Dragon is free and theirs for the killing."

Kuwabara put a hand to his chin thoughtfully, "Why warn you, though? If it was me, I'd've wanted to catch you off guard."

Crimson eyes slid down to the blonde in his arms, her face still hidden against his neck.

"But they did catch me off guard. I would never have guessed they would have taken the course of action they did."

"That doesn't answer why they sent a warning at all," Yusuke pointed out angrily.

"Because I know now what they can use against me."

The room was silent again for some time.

Kuwabara finally spoke up, "I still don't see how that would be their best plan."

"Tch. Fool."

"Shut up, Shorty, I-!"

"They warned Hiei because now he knows that they are willing to bring Mai into their battle for the Dragon. They can-" Kurama cut himself off, looking toward Hiei with eyes that questioned whether he should continue with the subject in the room.

_She knows their reasoning. And she knows how effective it could be,_ he confirmed telepathically, letting the fox demon know he should continue his explanation.

Clearing his throat, the redhead pressed on, "The clan could threaten her, take her, harm her, make attempts to kill her, and have proven they are willing and capable of doing it. This is to their advantage because they know they can manipulate Hiei's actions by using her. They can draw him out, make him respond to their attacks in certain ways, or even-"

"Make me give up my life in exchange for hers," the fire demon finished coldly. Mai held onto him tighter, but remained silent and otherwise immobile.

"There's gotta be some way around that; they can't have control over your every move!" Yusuke yelled. "We gotta go back to protecting Mai all the time, make sure nothing can happen!"

"Hn, you may do what you want, Detective, but I think we all know that it won't matter what rules are in place if I decide that another course of action is necessary. I will do as I see fit, even if that means walking straight into my-"

"Don't say it!" Mai's voice cut him off, leaving him gazing wide-eyed down at her. She had pulled herself from him and had spoken louder than she had in days. Her moss eyes held sorrow and guilt. "Hiei, you cannot die for me."

He looked around at his three friends, watching them intently. Clearing his throat gruffly, he responded, "I won't promise that I will not do that."

"But you can't let them use me to hurt you!" she exclaimed, a new wave of tears flowing down her cheeks. "I am not worth it; I would never forgive myself if I was the cause of your death! Yusuke is right; we can find a way around this!"

"No one has to die," the Spirit Detective affirmed with conviction.

Pumping a fist in the air, Kuwabara declared, "Yeah, we're a team!"

Kurama remained silent, however, knowing that no matter how perfect a plan they could come up with, Hiei was not joking when he said he would abandon it all and die for his mate.

"We can discuss this at another time," the Jaganshi mumbled, not able to meet Mai's eyes when they were so full of sadness and guilt – emotions only he should have to bear to begin with. "For now, this is about helping you."

"But I-!"

"Not in the long run, or for the preservation of your life should the need arise, but for your comfort and sense of security now."

She fell silent once more, allowing him to wrap her up in his arms again. Turning his eyes to the room, he said, "I believe it goes without saying that no one touches her, unexpectedly or not."

"Agreed," his comrades chorused.

"Hn. What else will help you, onna?"

"No bananas," she declared.

"Does that go for other phallic foods?" Kurama questioned interestedly.

"No, no that's not it at all," she shook her head. With a shudder, she admitted, "Sometimes I can still feel the banana peel beneath my shoulder."

Another tense silence filled the room before more rules were set. Mai just hoped she could get over needing them soon.

As feeble as that hope was.

* * *

"Don't even try to convince me to ignore what they will do to her, Kurama."

The fox demon gave his long-time friend a small smile as he sat in the armchair across from him. It was late, and the rest of their friends were asleep.

"I know I would be wasting my breath."

"Then why are you still here?"

"To tell you, instead, not to feel guilty."

Hiei actually laughed at that one. As if he could if he tried.

"I am serious," the fox pressed on. "It is not your fault that they went after Mai."

The fire demon rolled his neck idly, hearing the little "pop!" of the joints that were stiff from lying awake at night. Settling back in the chair, he turned to gaze out the window, though at nothing in particular.

"My mark is a target on her," he said finally.

The redhead turned his attention out the window as well. "I don't think she would trade that in for anything."

"Then maybe I shouldn't have allowed her to fall in love with me; it has caused nothing but trouble for her. It got her into trouble with Kazai, whom I couldn't even protect her from, it has catalyzed her family's efforts to murder their heir and now it has amounted to physical and emotional harm. She cannot sleep or eat, and sometimes she can't even speak. She cannot bear even the feeling of my skin touching hers." He lifted an arm, bringing attention to the long sleeved shirt he wore. "My presence does her no good anymore as she battles her nightmares, and I am not even good at calming her out of them. I cannot even fathom how I can help her or make things better, and yet today when I said I would let the clan kill me if she could live, she looked at me with guilt. Guilt she should not even carry."

"Hiei, there is little more emotionally devastating than what she went through. It is going to take all the help she can get to lift her back to her feet and make her feel normal again. And although she may not like the feeling of your skin, she can at least handle your touch in other ways," the fox pointed out. "But as for the guilt, can you imagine how you would feel in her place? Imagine you had been injured in a surprise attack that was meant to warn her that her family was making plans to move in. What if she told you that she would not let you suffer for her, and would die to save your life? How would you feel then?"

He considered it for a moment before conceding, "Guilty. I would never want her to feel like she had to die for me. I would want her to let me die so she could keep on living."

"That is likely Mai's thought process, too. Couple that with the feelings of worthlessness and the sense of being weak that the attack surely has resulted in, and it may even make more logical sense to her that she should die so you may live."

"Emotions are complicated," Hiei grunted moodily.

Kurama nodded, "They are. And although we have no plan of action and even though you are going to have to talk to Mai about all of this, I have a suggestion."

Hiei raised an eyebrow and the fox continued, "Go with her to see Mukuro."

"They hate each other," Hiei shook his head.

"But they will also understand each other. Mukuro can help you; she will understand Mai on a level you can only sympathize with. Mukuro will have empathy, and that could make the difference. Besides," he added, a cunning smile on his face, "Perhaps seeing her on an equal plain will motivate Mukuro to volunteer her own help against the Firebird clan."

Slowly, Hiei nodded. "The only problem will be convincing Mai to come."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the reviews I got! I really hope that the first chapter answered some questions and that we are off to a good start. I'm trying to be more detailed in this story, since I feel like I relied a lot on dialogue in Dance. Anyways, I love feedback and everything you guys have to say is completely worth jotting down in a review! Enjoy the next chapter and please let me know what you're thinking!

* * *

"Thanks for convincing me to go to the park today, Yusuke."

The Spirit Detective shrugged his shoulders slightly before folding his arms behind his head. He and Mai were lying on their backs on the side of a hill in the park, the more secluded section because it was only small grassy inclines. She was spread eagle as if making a snow angel. Her green eyes watched as clouds floated by, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin which had had its fill of artificial lighting. Breathing out a small sigh, she curled her fingers in the cool grass.

"Do you feel okay?" Yusuke asked, glancing over at the blonde.

"Yes, I am okay now. I was very nervous at first, though," she admitted with a blush. "I know it doesn't make sense; I mean, I know the streets aren't crawling with monsters and things like that."

"If you expect yourself to be thinking logically and to not be afraid still, then you have some whacked out standards for yourself to follow."

She nodded, knowing he was right but still wishing she could just go back to feeling normal.

"How is Keiko?"

"Keiko is good. She still helps out at her parents' restaurant sometimes, and she is still studying a lot. I think we're probably going to get an apartment together at the end of the month once the lease is up on the one I've been sharing with the guys," he mentioned.

Mai smiled widely at him. "That's great! It's a big step, and I am sure it will be one for the better!"

The male hanyou shrugged again. "Yeah, it's gonna be different. I mean, it's not like how it happened with you and Hiei. That was more gradual until he just never came back to our place or his tree."

"I don't even know exactly when it happened," she smiled, her mind turning to her mate.

"I wonder if it would have been better that way…" Yusuke muttered.

Mai kicked him lightly in the shin and reprimanded, "Don't worry about things that haven't even happened yet!"

"Fine, fine," he brushed it off. "But the first night I'm locked out or some shit, know I'll be knocking on your door, anything I may be interrupting be damned."

Mai didn't say anything, her blush only resurfacing full force. Yusuke glanced at her and realized what he had just said. "Oh no, sorry, Mai, I didn't even think-"

"It's okay," she replied. In a small voice, she asked, "Yusuke, can I tell you something?"

"Sure thing," he said earnestly.

Taking a breath, she confessed, "Hiei and I haven't had sex since before… it happened. I… I can't stand the feeling of his skin. I don't understand why; he is my mate!"

"It makes sense, though. And you can't stand to be touched by anyone else at all, even if there is no skin to skin contact, so it makes sense that you can at least handle contact of some sort from your mate."

"But I feel like it shouldn't bother me. I love him – he is my everything – and I can't even stand it when he tries to hold my hand, let alone kiss me or…"

"The Shrimp understands," Yusuke nodded confidently. "There are very few people he cares about in this world, and you are number one on that list, Mai. He will wait as long as you need and do anything he can to help you."

"Wh-what if I never get better?" the hanyou asked the question that had been plaguing her, feeling on the verge of a meltdown.

"You're too strong to give up. And you said it yourself: you love him." Smirking, Yusuke added, "Though none of us have figured out why…"

She shot him a weak smile and said, "Thank you. I am still worried and I still am so embarrassed by not wanting him to touch me, but I feel better now."

"Anytime."

They lay in silence for a while before Yusuke decided to bite the bullet and go for what he had set out to do that day.

"Ya know, I would've thought Hiei might kill me for taking you out today."

"Why is that?"

"I figured he wanted to be the first person you left your apartment with, or at the very least that he wouldn't let you out without coming along, too. I was really surprised when he asked me to do it, actually."

"Hiei asked you to take me out today?"

"Well, it's because he needs to talk to you about something, but figured I had a better chance of getting the idea across before you killed me."

She sat up, turning sharp moss eyes on her friend. "What am I going to go home and kill him for then?"

"Well," the Spriti Detective chuckled nervously. "Hiei wants to take you with him to go see Mukuro."

"I don't want to go see her," Mai answered, her voice cold and clipped.

"He figured you would say that… But I agree with him."

"What the hell, Yusuke?! Why would any of you think that is a good idea? Because you can't tell me Kurama isn't in on this too!"

"It was his idea originally, but anyways-"

"So what, you all just sit around and plan ways to piss me off?"

"No, we have been worried about you! And if you would listen, you would see why it's a good idea! Why would I agree to push something that would hurt my little sister?"

Sobered, Mai settled for crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the black haired man beside her.

"Mukuro knows what you're going through better than anyone here could, Mai. She could help you get back to normal like you want! She may not be your biggest fan, but she knows what it feels like to be where you are now, and that may change things for her. Plus, if Hiei asks, we are all sure she'll give in. I'm sure she could even help you get comfortable around him again."

"Or she will try to get comfortable with Hiei," she pointed out crossly.

"We both know that even if that happened, Hiei would never do anything to hurt you. Gods, Mai, the guy would prance around in a frilly dress and bonnet if it would be what was best for you!"

She couldn't help but giggle at the mental image he had conjured.

"Plus, from a strategic standpoint, if Mukuro takes a liking to you, or at least if she knows the situation and that Hiei is in danger, she has a whole freaking army at her disposal! She would be a huge asset for our side!"

"And what if she doesn't like me despite our new commonality?"

"Well, that's always a possibility, but we know she does like Hiei. And we also know that, generally, what Hiei wants, Hiei gets."

The blonde turned the proposal over in her head for quite some time. She had not given an answer, in fact, before the Spirit Detective suggested they go back home.

* * *

"Hiei," Mai called, closing the door to her apartment behind her. She was careful to keep her voice neutral, but he flitted to her a second later nonetheless.

"Hi, koi," he mumbled guiltily.

"How was your afternoon?" she asked calmly, making her way to the kitchen.

Hiei's eyebrows rose toward his hairline. She was either too calm because she was about to explode at him, or the afternoon had done her good but Yusuke hadn't done what he was sent out to do. He followed behind her, saying, "Fine. How was yours?"

"Decent," she nodded. "I enjoyed the fresh air."

"Hn."

Mai went about pulling a pot and a pan out of the cupboards along with some rice and vegetables. She set the pot on the burner after filling it with water and got the vegetables sizzling in the pan before she turned back to her silent mate.

"So when are we going to the Makai?"

His crimson eyes almost popped out of Hiei's face. "What?"

"When are we going to the Makai?" she repeated evenly, adding the rice to the boiling water.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I need to push my pride and my jealousy aside, Hiei, because I want to get better. If Mukuro can help me, then so be it."

The fire apparition cleared his throat and replied, "I don't know when we are going, because I expected more resistance, to be honest."

"I want to be fixed," she muttered, her eyes filling up with tears. "I don't like being this way; I don't like that I can't even be myself with you anymore!"

She watched as his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. His arms twitched at his sides, unsure of what to do. Mai moved forward and he immediately took the signal and wrapped her up tightly in his arms. She felt the fabric of his long sleeves against her back and buried her face against his chest, cheeks aflame with shame and guilt.

"I love you, Hiei and I want to be a good mate, and I want to be me again, at least with you if not everyone else. I don't want to be afraid to-to-"

She burst into a fit of sobs and he hugged her tighter. "Koi, it's okay. I only want you to be happy and safe. And… you know how much I care for you."

The blonde continued to cry, but he knew that there was very little he could say to have stopped that. He knew that she would understand he was telling the truth, but he also knew she would continue to feel the way she had been feeling before. Slowly, he led her into her room and gave her a gentle nudge toward the bathroom. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes, which were still shedding tears, before gathering up some clothes and heading into the bathroom to take a shower. The fire demon watched the door even after it had closed, something clenching tightly in his chest.

_Gods, I don't deserve to be answered, but please let Mukuro help her._

* * *

"Hiei. Fancy seeing you back here again."

The fire apparition ignored the chill in Mukuro's voice and cocked his head to the side in a stiff greeting. "Mukuro."

"You have not been summoned and last I checked, you didn't intend to come back to my lands again."

"I have a request," Hiei replied, getting straight to the point.

"And why should I grant it?" she lifted a brow and looked down her nose at him. The look on her face was clearly condescending, but he ignored it.

"Years of voluntary service for which I put my life on the line should have granted me one request at least."

"The title of my second was pay enough."

"Fine, then if not for me, you should grant my request for a fellow woman, one who finds herself with need you yourself once felt."

Mukuro turned for the first time to look at Mai. The hanyou wanted to shrink back, but stood firm beside her mate. Her arms were both wrapped around one of his in a vice grip, anchoring herself to his strength and determination to make herself feel a bit less weak.

"I see nothing wrong with it."

Mai flinched at the derogatory response. Hiei glared and said, "Mukuro, I ask because I have no options. You are the sole source of help with this. Mai was-"

"I was raped, Mukuro."

The fire demon turned to his mate, crimson eyes widened with surprise. She had finally come to terms with it enough to say it out loud. Her grip on his arm was tighter than ever, and she was shaking next to him, but she had said it.

The half android regarded Mai closely. She noted her trembling, her pale skin and the way she kept swallowing as if she felt ready to be sick. Despite the obvious signs of weakness, she still stood straight and her footing was solid on the stone flooring. She was holding on to Hiei, but she didn't lean on him or even look at him. No, her green eyes were only on Mukuro and she had to smile slightly at the young woman.

"So this is one of your good days, huh, hun?"

Mai was taken aback by the sudden change in Mukuro's attitude, but nodded slowly.

"How long ago did it happen?"

"A week," Mai answered quietly.

"What? Can't hear you over here!"

"A week," repeated Mai with more conviction.

"Who?"

"I don't know his name; a demon working for the Firebird clan."

Mukuro's eyes turned to Hiei for a moment, noting the look of immense guilt that flashed across his face. Turning back to the hanyou, she continued, "What did you feel around you? What were the worst physical experiences?"

Mai paled and her eyes glazed over for a moment. Hiei watched her carefully, his muscles tensing so he could act quickly if she became too weak to balance alone. Mukuro waved a hand over her shoulder as she turned and began to walk away. She heard the two shorter individuals following behind her until they reached Mukuro's negotiations room. She sat in her high-backed chair, allowing herself to revel in the texture of the black, crushed velvet upholstery. Mai and Hiei sat themselves opposite her and Mai lifted her eyes to make eye contact once more.

"My back was scraped up by pebbles and upturned gravel. There was a rotting banana peel beneath my shoulder."

"Which one?"

"Left," Mai answered immediately. Mukuro nodded, and Hiei just sat, amazed at just how many details haunted Mai so vividly.

"What else?"

"His hair was oily. His nails were long and sharp. His skin was sort of cold."

"What was the worst part?"

For the first time, Mai turned to look at Hiei. Apology shone in her moss orbs and she had to turn back to Mukuro before she answered, "Feeling him cum inside me."

Mukuro nodded and lifted a finger to her chin thoughtfully. Hiei's hands curled into fists so tight he drew blood from his palms. Mai had turned a sickly color and soon stood and hastily exited the room. The two demons left in the room, courtesy of their superior hearing, soon heard her retching.

"The Firebird clan, Hiei?" The fire demon nodded shortly. "Are you sure?"

"They branded her."

Again, the orange haired woman nodded. "I didn't think the day would arrive that I'd be saying this, but the poor thing…"

"The clan had better know that they're in for horrid deaths. Every single one of them."

"We both know that they will meet no such fate by your hand if they use her as leverage."

"Hn," he grunted noncommittally.

Mai re-entered the room at that point and settled next to Hiei again. Her skin was simply pale again, but she looked much more tired that she had before. The exhaustion was even more pronounced on her face.

"What emotions did you feel?" Mukuro went straight back to questioning.

"Fear," Mai said right away. She thought for a second and continued, "Vulnerable. Used. Disgusted. Guilty. Surprised."

There, the android nodded again, a knowing smile on her face.

"Angry. I felt angry," Mai pressed on, though the repetition made Mukuro think she had just made a realization for herself.

"Why were you angry?"

"I… I think I was angry with myself. I should have sensed the second demon. Or I shouldn't have gone out; I was just being stubborn with Hiei…"

"Onna-"

Mukuro cut him off swiftly, asking, "Are you still angry?"

"Yes. I was headstrong. I was cocky in battle. I didn't help a single thing with the way I was dressed. I… I wonder if I am partially at fault sometimes."

"Well, honey, let me tell you from personal experience: you aren't. Sometimes, shit happens and it's out of your hands. It's no fault of yours that men still think women are objects to be used as they want. You've been labeled a pawn, like in chess. A useless player in a greater scheme, but still a toy to be played with while you're available for use."

Mai felt a wave of nausea turn her stomach again, but quickly swallowed the feeling down. Everything Mukuro was saying was what she had thought of as a possibility, but then quickly doubted. Her mind was always racing for answers: Why? Why her? Was he supposed to violate her or was that his own personal addition?

"I'll help you, kid, but just so you know, we're never going to try and figure out why it happened. There's no way of knowing. That's something you either have to accept as being unanswerable or come up with your own answer for; neither is something I can do for you."

Mai nodded, but quickly stopped, suddenly realizing that her head was aching.

"Hiei, you know where your room is," Mukuro said, standing and moving toward the door. "You will head the patrol during the days. Mai, meet me in here tomorrow morning at seven."

With that, the orange haired leader left the room. Hiei wrapped an arm around Mai, rubbing her upper arm comfortingly. The blonde rested her head on his shoulder, mumbling almost indiscernibly about her head hurting her.

"You will not regret coming for Mukuro's help," Hiei assured.

"I can see that already. Thank you, Hiei. For bringing me here."

He was unable to respond, feeling only an overwhelming guilt rise up in him. It was his fault that she needed to seek Mukuro's aid, and getting her that help in no way was penance enough.

"Can I sleep?" he heard her ask weakly.

"Hn. I'll bring you back to the room we'll be staying in."

She let out a soft hum of appreciation and breathed, "I love you," before her eyes fluttered closed and she passed out against him.

Gods, he had done so much wrong to the amazing woman who, for some reason he could not fathom, still loved him.

And he still couldn't make his voice form the words back.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again! Thank you for the reviews! I love the familiar readers! You guys are awesome for sticking out with me for another story. Especially since I update so sporadically, it would seem. Seriously, though, college can whoop some serious butt with its massive workload, plus my job… Anyways, enough whining about my lack of free time. I am excited to post this chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it. Feedback on how my writing style is so far, or about the characters, the new trials in Hiei and Mai's relationship… they are all open for comments! Please review and enjoy!

* * *

"Hiei?"

The addressed fire demon opened his eyes to find Mai kneeling on the bed beside him. He was sprawled out on his bed after a long, boring day of border patrol and had been on the verge of falling asleep. Propping himself up on his elbows, he asked, "Koi?"

"Can you please help me get used to physical contact again? At least a little bit?" she asked with pleading green eyes.

He sat up more fully and nodded. Crimson eyes skimmed over her form, illuminated by the yellowish glow of the Makai's moon streaming in through the window. It made her honey waves appear more golden and gave some color back to her much paled skin. She wore a plain black cami and grey cotton shorts, exposing more skin than he had seen in over a week. His hand twitched, wanting to reacquaint itself with her soft flesh. He held back, however, waiting for instruction.

"Okay, uhm…" she bit her lip nervously and curled and uncurled her fingers. "I think it will be best to start with our hands."

With a nod to assure herself that she was ready, Mai raised her hand. Hiei lifted his hand to meet hers, but left it hovering cautiously. She stole herself and quickly laced their fingers together. Her immediate reaction was the desire to pull away quickly followed by a wave of guilt; this was her mate, not someone who posed any sort of threat! So she held on, trying to keep herself from trembling. Hiei's hand was immobile, and when she felt slightly calmer, she lifted her eyes to his face. He looked regretful and wary at the same time.

"Can you… c-can you just hold my hand the way you would if I was okay? Ignore my discomfort, and..." she trailed off and looked at him apologetically.

Hiei moved his hand slightly, angling it so he could move his thumb to her palm. He drew slow circles across her skin, keeping his eyes away from Mai's face. It was easier to ignore her unease when he couldn't see it there. He traced the lines of her palm before lifting the back of her hand to his lips. Mai pulled back on her hand, bringing his hand to her cheek. As soon as the back of his hand made contact with her skin, she cringed.

"Keep going," she urged when he drew his hand back.

Frowning, the fire apparition trailed his fingertips down the side of her face. Her mouth opened in a shaky breath when he traced her lips. His index finger trailed across her cheek bones and over the bridge of her nose. Finally, he cupped her cheek in his palm, slowly stroking his thumb back and forth.

From there, Mai directed his hands to her shoulders, arms, collarbone, shins and knees. Then she muttered, "I don't think I want to try anything else tonight."

"Okay, koi," he nodded.

"I'm sorry," she apologized anyway, her eyes cast down at the hem of her cami which she was fiddling with.

"It's fine, Mai." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She smiled at him weakly and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. As he lifted his arms to embrace her, he smiled proudly; she may not have wanted to try anything else, but she did accomplish the first real hug they'd shared since the incident.

* * *

"So, hun, have you talked to him about it at all?"

"No," Mai sighed, "Not really. I didn't have to even initially; I am assuming you know as well as I how impatient he gets. He just used the Jagan eye."

Mukuro nodded slowly. "Don't you think you should talk to him about it?"

The blonde shrugged, breaking eye contact with the android to look out the window she was perched near. "He knows what happened as well as I do – it was from my memory."

"He knows what happened, but not about how you felt."

"He was here when I told you."

"Trust me, hun, you could go even further than what you told me that first day. At least try to explain why you can't stand to be touched."

Mai's eyebrows met in confusion, "But I don't know why-"

"You do," Mukuro nodded. "Somewhere in that little air head of yours, you know."

Letting out a small hum, Mai sank back into her chair. Her eyes moved back to the orange haired woman before her and she asked, "Why are you helping me, Mukuro? I thought you disliked me."

She was met with a glare, which soon turned into a look of exhaustion. "It's true; I was incredibly envious of you. You had what I wanted, and what I thought I could have. As you may imagine, I don't get many takers with this body, and Hiei's help made me think that he was different than the others. Which he was," she added. "But not in the way I originally thought. He was just… he saw more than the others did. He saw how I was being dragged down. But it made me think maybe…"

Mai gave a small nod as Mukuro trailed off with a sigh. The orange haired woman continued, "But that's not what turned out to be true. And even when you walked through my doors, I still didn't like you. But then I saw that you were much stronger than I thought you could ever have been, knowing what I knew before. You came in here and you held your ground, held your head up high and told me what happened. That's not easy, and I know that firsthand.

"And as soon as Hiei had begun talking, my opinion of you began to change. Hiei is not a man to ask for favors. He does things on his own, the way he wants, and the fact that he would come to me for help on your behalf… that meant you were something special. I never thought that even I could have changed him as much as you have."

"He tells me I've changed him a lot, and he doesn't seem to mind that, but I never wanted to change him," Mai said, her eyebrows scrunching together again. "I want him to be Hiei still…"

"Love changes people," Mukuro shrugged. "And you've got to know he loves you."

"I do," replied the hanyou, nodding again. "I do know he does."

"He doesn't have to say it for it to be true, either," the orange haired demoness replied knowingly.

Mai sighed again and said, "I know. I knew when I mated him it was something I would likely never hear. But woman to woman, you know, there are just times when it would make things better to hear those words?"

"Yes, there are those times. Just find comfort in the fact that it's true; that mark on your neck is proof enough."

Mai smiled softly, lifting her hand to the flames she knew were there. "Yes, he does love me. And I don't know what I would have done without him with me through all of this."

"All the more reason to talk to him. Pay it back and let him know what's happening inside your head, because even with the Jagan eye, he won't be able to get it as well as you could explain it."

* * *

"Hiei?"

The fire demon cracked open one eye with a smirk.

"Is this how we're going to meet every night from now on?"

She gave him a weak smile and muttered, "Sorry. You can sleep if you want to. I'll go shower or something."

"No, I want to see you."

She nodded and sat back on her heels, kneeling next to him on the bed. Hiei watched her chew her lip for a moment before asking, "What do you want to talk about, onna?"

"How did you-?"

"Your habits give you away," he answered, gesturing at the teeth still clamped on her lower lip.

"Oh," she replied, her cheeks flushing as she instantly let go of her lip. "Um, yes, I did want to talk to you. Well, only if you wanted to know, that is."

"Know what?" Hiei pushed himself up against the headboard of the bed, pulling one knee up to rest his arm on.

"What I have been thinking, I guess. What I thought about the whole thing. Why I have been having trouble with you touching me."

He regarded her for a moment before nodding. Mai shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and lowered her eyes to the plain grey sheets beneath her.

"Well, I don't really need to tell you what happened; you know that as well as I do," she cleared her throat and glanced up at him briefly. His expression was blank, so she continued, "Obviously I was scared, and felt helpless and all of those things. But I was… I felt guilty. Like I should have worn a different shirt, or like I should have listened to you and maybe it wouldn't have happened. Maybe if I had learned to fight better… I don't know. But I also felt like…"

She sighed in frustration, searching for the words. Her head lifted when she found them and she continued, "I felt like I did when working with Kazai, but filthier. I thought I had hit a low when I was stripping, letting men touch me, giving oral to people I didn't have the slightest connection to, whose names I didn't know. How could I have sunk any lower? How could I tarnish my reputation or lose any more self-respect than I already had? And then some of those things happened again, but it was so much worse this time. I told Mukuro the worst part was the feeling when he came inside me… because I felt so much lower than the dirtiest of garbage. I was just something to use to get off. That was it. And worse than feeling so used and sullied… I felt like I had betrayed you in a way. This mark," she lifted her hand to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "Receiving this was my promise to be yours. Your hands were supposed to be the only ones to know me and if anyone should have been… Well, it should have been you."

Hiei opened his mouth, doubtless to argue with her, but closed it, for which she was thankful. Now that she had started, she didn't know that she could have picked up if she stopped.

"And I think that it all contributes to why I hate to be touched. The feeling of someone else's skin reminds me of how filthy I felt. But then when it's you touching me… I feel all the guilt and so unworthy it turns my stomach. It's so uncomfortable; I don't know what to do with myself. It got better after the other night, but I know it's not going to be entirely better. We could be going back to square one when we try it next, who knows? I just… I want to pull away and just… isolate myself because I am trash. Not only was my honor tarnished this time, but because of your mark, so was yours. And I am nowhere near forgiving myself for that."

She took a deep breath and clenched her hands in her lap. They sat in silence for a moment before she piped up again, "Oh, and um, there's one more thing that doesn't help the whole being touched thing. Well, really only in your case."

Hiei lifted an eyebrow in question, but did not break his silence.

"Well, I know you like to hold my hips, and I liked it when you did that too, but now I am afraid that when you do… all I will think of are the scars he left." She lowered her eyes once more to the sheets as she saw his eyes narrow in rage. "They are ugly, ugly scars."

"I can speak now, right?"

Mai nodded, but kept her eyes lowered.

"First off, you are beautiful and nothing could change that. You know who is going to be even uglier when I get to him? The sick fuck that did this to you," the fire demon snarled. "Second, although it does me no good to say it, you need not feel guilty. The only thing I care about is that you are alright. As soon as he laid a finger on you, he had made his death wish, and it is him who is to blame. Thirdly, you have done nothing wrong as a mate and you are so far from trash, especially in my eyes, it is laughable. Finally, if it makes you uncomfortable when I touch you, I will not do it."

"But you have to," she argued. "The rational part of me knows that we have to break this fear, and that once we do, I will feel so much safer again. With you, I feel the safest, and I want that feeling again so badly."

"Fine," he replied. "But tell me when you are at a point where you need to stop. It will be like our courtship all over again."

She gave him a small smile at his attempt at humor.

Clearing his throat gruffly, he muttered, "Onna, more than I want to touch you again, I want to see you smile."

Tears pricked the back of her eyes and Mai swallowed hard, choking down the small cry she felt bubbling up her throat. Her lower lip trembled causing Hiei to frown. His hand rose automatically, reaching out to cup her cheek, but he stopped, remembering. Ignoring the skip of her heart as she did so, Mai reached out and curled her fingers around his wrist and brought his palm to her lips. Looking up at the fire demon, their eyes met for a moment. They sat frozen, and Mai's hand began to shake. Slowly, she laced their fingers together and moved his hand so the back of it rested over her heart.

The tears finally started streaming down her face, but she ignored them, saying, "Do you remember when we first got together? When you were worried you wouldn't be able to control your instincts and I said we would be careful? I knew everything would be okay?"

"Hn," Hiei nodded, grasping her hand tighter. "And the same applies now. We will be careful and everything will be okay again."

She nodded and brought her free hand to her eyes, pushing away the remaining tears. With a sniffle she said, "I love you so much, Hiei."

He opened his mouth, intending to return the words, but they just wouldn't come. Swallowing harshly, he simply moved their hands so that hers was resting over his heart. She gave a small smile, but he didn't miss the sadness lingering in her eyes.

* * *

"She's making a lot of progress, you know."

"Hn."

"You have a strong woman, Hiei."

The fire apparition nodded his agreement.

"It is certainly going to take her time to get over this; she has her own past demons to deal with, too."

"She told me it brought back the feelings from working under Kazai," Hiei stated. "Only worse this time."

Mukuro looked out over the wall, taking in the scent of the Makai air. "That's the thing about having your body used like that… it just keeps getting worse and worse until you feel like nothing at all. You are just a thing. An object. Not even a person anymore. Poor thing may have been getting over all that and it was brought back to her and in a worse way than it had ever been before."

They were silent for a moment, before Mukuro added thoughtfully, "I can't tell you how horrid of a feeling it is, being penetrated involuntarily. I mean, you could never truly empathize, not knowing the feeling of penetration under any circumstance. There's just something so… uniquely intimate about it. There is another person literally within your body. And for it to be someone you do not want there… She will be fighting those feelings and those nightmares for years to come. It never leaves you."

"I simply want her happiness to return to her." As an afterthought, he added, "And to slaughter each and every member and minion of the Firebird clan."

"Should you need it, I will send out some of my troops to assist you."

He nodded, and moved to the next post several meters down the wall. Mukuro followed before leaning her hip against the stone wall.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Not really," he admitted. "I want her to be better first. As she is, she is much too vulnerable to even consider leaving her alone to go about making or executing plans. And perhaps inaction will fool them into thinking she is not as key a weapon as she truly is."

"That's possible," the orange haired woman nodded slowly. "I don't know if that is what is going to happen, but even a seed of doubt could be beneficial."

"Hn."

"Are either of you worried about pregnancy? I did not ask her yet, because I figured that could be the most sensitive cord."

"No," he replied. He considered leaving it at that, but added, "She cannot conceive."

"Hmm, I had heard rumors of what Kazai did to his girls but didn't think them true," she answered thoughtfully. Frowning she continued, "Poor girl."

"That bad?" he growled, angry that he hadn't had time to truly make Kazai pay when they had had their final fight.

"Imagine how it would feel to have someone cut off your-" Hiei cringed before she could even finish the sentence. "Yeah, well that's not even as bad as what that poor thing went through. Removal of internal organs without anesthesia…"

Mukuro shook her head. "Poor girl. So young and she's already experienced some of the worst things life can throw at a person."

"Glad to see your feelings for her have softened."

The android did not reply except to shrug. "I have my reasons. Which reminds me…"

She reached into her pocket and withdrew something which caused the fire demon to lift his brows in surprise.

"I have no use for this any longer. I trust you will know what to do with it and when the time is right."

Hiei stared at the object for a moment. He wasn't going to ask her if she meant it; Mukuro did not say things she did not mean. Still, he was surprised at the offer. He accepted the object nonetheless, pocketing it inside of his cloak.

Turning to look back over the side of the wall, he said, "Thank you, Mukuro."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello everyone! I am in a fantastic mood right now and because of the elections I haven't concentrated on my homework for hours, so I figured, why not post the next chapter? It's about that time again anyway! So here it is! Thank you for the reviews, I love them! I like writing playful Hiei, but hopefully I kept him pretty much in character. Tell me what you think about that, about the plot so far, all that good stuff! Enjoy!

* * *

"Happy to be home?"

Mai nodded her head as she wandered into the kitchen. "I am glad we went, though."

She opened a cabinet and surveyed the contents, a frown forming on her lips. "We need food."

Hiei looked at her carefully, trying to gauge her mood. "Would you like to go shopping together or shall I go?"

The blonde bit her lip for a moment. She raised hands that were shaking slightly, looking intently at her palms. Suddenly, she clenched her hands into fists and turned to face Hiei. "No, we'll go."

He gave her a small smile and offered her his arm. She coiled both of hers around it, pulling it to her side. It was amazing what two weeks had done for her – he wore a t-shirt, but the contact between their arms didn't bother her anymore. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and they set out once again.

"So is Mukuro still upset with you?"

The fire apparition shook his head. "No, she is fine now."

"Good. I believe I judged her too harshly before."

"Oh?" he lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes," she nodded. They turned into the grocery store and she continued, "We have more in common than I thought."

Hiei wanted to ask what she meant, but she didn't seem like she was about to elaborate so he left it at that. They walked down the aisle which contained cereals and crackers. A man stood at the side of the aisle examining a box. As they neared him, he looked up, and immediately Hiei felt Mai's nails dig into his skin as her grip tightened. She shrunk into him, and he quickened his pace to get around the other patron. She let out a breath she had clearly been holding and paused in the empty pasta aisle. She was shaking slightly and Hiei pulled his arm from her grasp, instead wrapping it around her shoulders and tucking her into his side.

"Do you want to go home?"

She shook her head quickly, and shifted her eyes to a nearby shelf of egg noodles.

Fifteen minutes later, they had gathered the necessities and were on their way back to their apartment.

"That went well," Hiei observed.

"As well as I could have hoped," Mai replied bitterly.

"You know," the fire demon replied lightly, "You are really short."

She arched an eyebrow at him sassily. "I'm short?"

"Yeah, I mean, I'm barely over 5 feet thanks to an unforeseen growth spurt. I was your height way back in the Dark Tournament days. Plus, if you can fit under my arm like this, you have to be bordering on pixie sized."

"I'm not a damn pixie," she grumbled.

"Just pixie sized, I said," he smirked.

"It's a good thing I love you," she glared.

"Hn, good for me."

"It's all about you," she laughed lightly, poking him in the chest.

He shrugged again and leaned forward slightly, questioning if it was alright to continue. She nodded once and he pressed his lips to hers. His mind fogged as the Jaganshi basked in the feeling he had been aching for in the three weeks since the incident. This was the second real kiss they had shared since, though the first had been as clumsy and awkward as if they had never kissed before. This one was much better, just as warm and soft as he remembered. Their lips knew what to do this time and which ways to move. Her chin was tilted at just the right angle and his neck was arched so his mouth could descend upon hers at the right pressure. Not too soft, but not too dominant.

His hand lifted itself slowly to her cheek, his thumb stroking against her skin softly. He wanted to do more, to grab her hips or to seek out her tongue, but knew it was much too soon for either. Separating slowly, Mai let out a soft sigh.

"I missed that," she smiled.

"Hn." He rested his forehead against hers, letting his eyes close. Mai looked up at his face, still tense despite the relaxation of his posture.

The hanyou frowned and hugged him softly, wishing she had the capacity to figure out how he was feeling while sorting out her own problems.

* * *

"Shit," Hiei growled. He watched the perfume slowly leak out of the now shattered bottle on the floor for a second, sniffing cautiously. It wasn't a scent he had ever smelled on Mai and figured she probably wouldn't be upset over the loss. Opening up a drawer of the vanity for a towel, something else caught his eye. He placed the object on the counter before returning to the original task of mopping up the spill.

With the towel saturated in the now obnoxiously flowery smelling liquid, the fire apparition made his way to throw it in the laundry room and to find Mai. Coincidently, she was in the laundry room, sorting through a basket of clothing.

"Onna." He offered her the towel and she took, it, nose scrunching.

"Oh, I didn't like this one at all. My father gave it to me years ago."

He nodded, agreeing, "It is a bit overpowering."

She hummed in affirmation and threw the towel into the washing machine. As she set about throwing more clothing in the machine, he extracted his find from his pocket.

"You don't wear this anymore?"

Mai looked up as she shut the door of the washer and was surprised at the chain of diamonds dangling from her mate's fingers.

"No," she answered eventually. "The piercing got infected after… And it was sort of stretched because of being pulled."

"Is it okay now?"

"Yeah, it looks much better now than it did."

Hiei nodded, eyeing the navel ring in his hand. "Would you ever consider wearing it again?"

Mai chewed her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know. I really liked it at the time, but…"

"Memories," he guessed, clenching his hand around the jewels.

"Yes," Mai nodded. "But maybe I will want it back some day. That's why I kept it."

The fire demon nodded and smirked to himself, thinking that if she had the foresight to keep the jewelry, the chances of her wanting to re-pierce her navel were great. Which, honestly, he was quite happy about.

* * *

"The Detective has resurrected his idea of a day at the beach," Hiei mentioned, casually dragging his swords across the stone he was using to sharpen the blade.

"Ah," Mai replied, clacking away at the buttons of the video game controller in her hand. Yusuke had gotten the system for her so that she wasn't bored during the times she didn't feel confident enough to go outside or for when someone wasn't available to go out with her. She had soon come to love spending her time on it, though she was able to go out much more often than she previously could.

"Am I distracting you?" he smirked.

"No," she replied. "I am just waiting for the inevitable question."

"And what is that?"

"You are going to ask me if I feel okay enough to go," she answered matter-of-factly.

"No, I was going to ask you if you needed to go out and get a swimsuit," he corrected, his smirk growing.

She smiled over her shoulder at him before turning back to her game. "What happened to my worrisome mate clucking about me like a mother hen?"

"Did you ever have one of those? I will have to kick the sissy bastard's ass."

Mai laughed, and the fire apparition's eyes closed, reveling in the sound. He had missed it much more than he could have imagined.

"So, really, would you like to go?"

Mai shrugged, "The better question is how much do you dislike beaches?"

"They are not my ideal location to spend a day," he admitted. "But it is better than an enclosed space with those fools."

"If you would like to go, we can go," she assented. Then, as her character was stabbed by an opponent, "Shit!"

"You do know that is fake, right?" he teased.

Mai dropped the remote and turned on him in one motion. She pounced on him, rising from her position seated on the floor to his perch on the couch behind her. The blonde grabbed his wrists and he allowed her to pin them above his head as she settled to hover over him.

"What were you saying, love?"

"Love?" he questioned mockingly.

"Thought I'd try it out. Copy you a little bit since you call me 'koi.'"

"Fair enough."

"Anyways, back to the original question: what were you saying before?"

"Do you need to go get a new swimsuit or do you have one?"

Mai hummed thoughtfully, settling back to sit on his hips. Glancing down, she opened her mouth as if to say something witty.

"No need to make a joke about crushing my balls," Hiei cut her off before she had even begun.

"How would you know that I was going to make a comment? I may have been about to answer your question."

The fire demon shook his head. "You had that look on your face that you always get when you are going to say something about my endowments."

"Endowments?" It was Mai's turn to mock his word choice.

"Hn," he affirmed. "Stature is not indicative of-"

Mai pressed her hand to his mouth, covering her own with her free hand to stifle a laugh. She pulled her hand back after a moment and saw another playful smirk dancing on her mate's face.

"I probably need a new bathing suit because a certain fire demon had the bright idea for me to gain a bunch of weight and I now have obnoxiously large boobs."

"I think the word you were looking for was 'delightfully,' not 'obnoxiously.'"

"You say that now, but wait 'til one night when I roll over and they like… smother you or something."

The fire demon was thoughtful for a moment before replying, " I don't think I'd resist."

Mai rolled her eyes at him and said, "Oh, good, I know a sure fire way of knocking you out for a bit."

"So do you want to get that swimsuit now?"

The hanyou raised a blonde brow at her mate, a skeptical look on her face. "You just really want to see my boobs, now, don't you?"

"You say 'now' like I didn't before," he grinned wickedly.

"Just remember I'm still not back to the level of skin revelation as I was before," she said, getting up and heading toward her room.

The fire demon frowned after her, knowing she spoke the truth. The warm summer months had essentially forced her to get used to wearing less clothing again, and she had worked her way back to tanktops and shorts, albeit longer shorts and shirts with higher necklines. A swimsuit was going to be a challenge.

* * *

It always amazed Hiei how long women took to pick out clothing. He had been leaning against the wall of the dressing room for a longer time than he particularly cared to calculate. Admittedly, he had known it would be a while before Mai felt comfortable enough to even let him see a pick, let alone to consider wearing one of the swimsuits outside of the room. However, he had no idea what sort of time commitment they had made.

She had already come out in a bright red bikini that revealed quite a bit of skin thanks to the thin strings that tied together to hold it to her body. Another option she had shown him was a sapphire blue one piece, with an open back. She had insisted it was too tight across her chest and had fled back in the dressing room. The third swimsuit she had felt comfortable enough showing him was a purple top that resembled a tanktop. It had a circular cut-out centered between her breasts ringed in silver. She also wore a brown skirt with a purple belt.

"Koi, it looks… young. You are a woman, and it's okay to show that again."

Mai bit her lip, her face becoming even more dejected than it had been after the last swimsuit was scrapped. Hiei sighed and stepped forward, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, Mai. I just want you to know that you are still the same, attractive woman you were before everything happened."

Mai nodded and stepped back, out of his grasp. Hiei returned to his position against the wall as she shut the door. He lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Gods, he wished she could see what he saw when he looked at her.

He heard the door creak open again and opened his eyes. Mai poked her head out, looking around to assure that they were still alone before stepping out. Hiei's eyes widened slightly, taking in her appearance.

She wore a dark, jade green bikini. The straps were thick halter style ones and a big bow resting on her back secured the top further. The bottoms were of a matching shade of green and covered her hips and bottom completely. Crimson eyes took in the fair amount of cleavage the top showed, the planes and valleys of her curvy torso and the expanse of shapely leg the swimsuit revealed. Mai glanced nervously down at herself, her fingers self-consciously readjusting the bottom piece, doubtless to ensure that her scars were hidden.

"I like this one a lot, koi."

"Is it too much skin?" she questioned, smoothing her hands over her bare stomach.

The fire demon shook his head. "No. You've been skinny dipping before, Mai."

"I know," she sighed, frustrated. "But that was much less public."

"Still, this is fine. You will be dressed in more fabric than many of the women there, I am sure."

She still looked uncertain and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror within the small changing room. Hiei searched her face in the mirror and frowned, seeing the fear in her eyes.

"What are you afraid of, koi?" he asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Her eyes swept over their reflections for a moment, pausing at his arms resting lazily across her collarbone. She no longer shook beneath his touch, and she was proud of the progress she had made in that way. Finally, she set her eyes on her exposed skin.

"I am afraid that it will only be asking for more trouble if I show too much of my body," she admitted in a whisper.

"Why do you think that?"

"That night, I was wearing such a low cut shirt, and it showed my stomach and my belly button ring… and my jeans were so tight…"

The fire demon pressed a kiss to the top of her head before resting his chin on her shoulder. "I know this isn't exactly comforting, but I think you could have been wearing a turtle neck and a floor length skirt and the result would have been the same. He was sent after you on a mission; it was not a random act of imposed lust satiation."

"But what if he had only been sent to brand me? What if he decided to do it because of-"

"Mai, we can't assume that. All we know is that he was sent to prove something to me. And doing that proved it and more. There is no indication that he saw you and changed his original plans."

The blonde nodded slowly. "Then I suppose I must ask… does it look okay?"

Her mate nodded, replying, "You are still tiny, koi. You could put on a garbage bag and you'd still look tiny in it. Even with the bit of weight you gained back after Kazai's death, you are still small. But now, I have my curves back."

"Your curves? Hmm, sexy," she turned her head and winked at him.

"Hn. You are," he muttered before pressing his lips to her cheek sweetly. "You are my incredibly sexy mate."

She blushed and shooed him out of the room under the pretense of changing so they could leave. The fire demon smirked at the closed door, glad to have another issue resolved.

And that they could finally get out of the store.

But mostly because they had overcome another hurdle.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys! So I am awful and haven't updated in almost two weeks… and I'm sorry. Somehow, I thought I would have more time to keep writing and updating than I do. But no worries, I'm not stopping! Anyways, thank you for the reviews last time. Love them! More are absolutely welcome :P So here we go, I'll let you get to it since it's been a while.

* * *

"Cowabunga!"

Mai giggled as Yusuke and Kuwabara ran straight toward the ocean, not even bothering to remove their t-shirts first.

"If you get salt stains on that shirt, don't think I'm going to struggle to remove it, Yusuke!" Keiko called after her boyfriend, muttering something about stupid boys when he kept on running.

"COLD!"

"Hn. Morons." Hiei scoffed. "Did they think it would be warm?"

Reika laughed lightly before turning to Kurama and suggesting that they set out a blanket. Keiko and Mai stepped up to assist them, and after setting down shoes and bags on the corners to weigh them down, they had a secured place to sit.

"It's so nice out today!" Keiko smiled widely, wiggling her shorts down her legs.

"We couldn't have asked for a better day," Reika agreed, shedding her tanktop.

Mai bit her lip nervously as even Kurama and Hiei shed their t-shirts. She grabbed onto Hiei's arm once he had thrown the article of clothing on top of the bag she had packed for them. He looked down at her, but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Are you going to burn?" she asked, a light pink tint on her cheeks indicating that was not her main focus at the moment.

"No, I'll be fine." She nodded and felt him lean down by her ear. "You don't need to feel so pressured. No one is going to say anything if you feel uncomfortable."

Mai nodded again and settled down on the blanket, arms wrapping around herself in the way Hiei had come to realize was her way of holding herself together. He sank down beside her and bumped his arm against hers lightly. She glanced at him with a small smile, understanding the message of comfort in the gesture.

"I guess I'll go make sure Yusuke and Kuwabara aren't trying to drown each other," Keiko sighed.

Reika smiled at Kurama and asked, "Shall we go see how the water is?"

"Sure," the fox demon consented. He took the brunette's hand and the trio took off toward the water.

Glancing around, Hiei decided it was safe and rested his head on Mai's shoulder.

"Tired?" she asked.

"Little bit," he admitted.

"Sorry, did I keep you up last night?"

He shrugged noncommittally, though she had, in fact, been the cause of his lack of sleep. Not that he blamed her; most nights were still a jumble of nightmares. They were lessening in number, but certainly not in intensity. It worried him even once she fell back asleep. Would she have another? Would he wake up to the sound of her screams that made his heart all but completely stop beating? Would he hold her crying form until she stopped shaking and realized that it was his arms she found herself in and not those of the scum that had hurt her? How many more nights would this cycle repeat?

"I'm sorry," she repeated, breaking into his thoughts.

Hiei shrugged it off, tilting his head up to place a lazy kiss to her jaw. He resettled himself on her shoulder and felt her fingers combing through his hair. The motion was soothing and he soon felt himself nodding off.

* * *

"What's up with the Shrimp?"

Mai frowned down at her sleeping mate who was resting heavily against her. She had her right hand braced on the ground against the pressure of his weight against her side.

"Shush, Kuwabara," she hissed. "He's fine."

"I don't think I've seen him sleep like that since his so called hibernation after his fight with Bui in the Dark Tournament," Yusuke declared.

"Do ya think he'd wake up if we poked him?" Kuwabara inquired, turning to his partner in crime.

"You are not going to try anything," Mai glared at the two.

"But, Mai, Shorty never sleeps; this could be our last chance for years!"

"You blew your chance as soon as you opened your obnoxiously loud mouth," Hiei grunted, picking his head up off of Mai's shoulder. He turned a sleepy glare at the two, though it was not lacking in severity.

"Shit, Kuwabara, why do you always ruin everything?" Yusuke grumbled.

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

The two began one of their usual squabbles that would surely land Kuwabara in a sand dune and Yusuke on the end of a ferocious slap by Keiko. Mai nuzzled her nose against Hiei's neck, closing her eyes.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"You have nothing to do with them being fools. That much is natural."

Mai looked around at their friends; Yusuke and Kuwabara were still fighting, Keiko was yelling at them to cut it out and Kurama and Reika were both still in the ocean. Assured that Hiei wouldn't get flustered, the hanyou cupped his cheek, bringing his lips to hers. He seemed surprised at first, but soon began to kiss back. The kiss was relatively short, considering the risk they always ran of teasing from their friends.

Breaking apart, Hiei asked, "Are you getting too hot?"

The blonde nodded sheepishly.

"Hn. I could tell. You're sort of red and sweating."

"Thanks, sounds like I look very pretty."

He smirked, "You know I always think you do."

She rolled her moss eyes at him and shook her head in exasperation.

"Did you want to go cool off a little?"

The blonde didn't reply, weighing her options. The beach wasn't terribly crowded that day, and they had settled in a fairly uncluttered area, but there were still people around. Hiei noticed the roaming of her eyes and frowned.

"It will be fine, you know. I'm here this time and you have the fools and the fox, too."

She still appeared apprehensive, but stood nonetheless. Slowly, she peeled off her t-shirt, pausing as she let it drop on top of Hiei's own shirt.

"God, I feel exposed," she muttered, looking around to make sure no one was looking at her.

The fire demon took both of her hands, lacing their fingers together. "I am right here, koi. No one can get to you. And you look incredible – just as attractive as the day we met. Any guy we pass is going to be jealous of me for having you."

Mai frowned, looking down at herself uncertainly. Pulling her hands back, she pulled off her shorts and hastily made sure that her hips were completely covered. The fire demon watched, almost wishing for a glimpse of the scars she detested so much. His eyes moved back to her face and found a blush there, and he took one of her hands again.

"Come on," he jerked his head toward the ocean and used his hold on her hand to guide her forward. Mai was practically attached to his arm the entire walk down to the water, but separated as they found a spot to themselves.

"I'm sorry," she said for the umpteenth time that day.

"For what?"

"I know you don't like to be so open in public," she mumbled, dragging her fingers over the calm surface of the water. She watched the tiny ripples her fingertips left behind, watched how they disappeared when a small swell in the surface broke them up.

"Isn't it lucky that there isn't really anything I won't do for my mate, then?"

"I am lucky," she nodded in agreement. "I have to admit that not all guys would stick around after what happened. And I think very few would have been willing to get involved with a girl who was being controlled by a sex trafficker."

Hiei shrugged, "You were clean."

Mai smiled and elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

He feigned offense, saying, "What? You think we would be here today if you had been disease ridden?"

"If you loved me enough we would," Mai laughed, dipping her cupped hand in the water. She lifted the water she gathered to her left shoulder, feeling the refreshing coolness wash down her arm.

Hiei looked at her uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. She didn't seem to mean anything by it, but he still had no idea how to proceed after she mentioned love. He would rather go through Mukuro's initial training five times over than be forced to come up with a reply. His voice seemed to leave him as soon as the word left her mouth; he couldn't return the sentiment out loud and there was nowhere else to go with it.

Luckily, she spoke up again, saving him from his temporarily mute state. "Did you want to go back to the blanket?"

"If you do."

She sighed, turning away to look out at the open water. Her fingers dragged over the cerulean surface absently once more.

"Koi?"

"I feel awful for being such a burden on you."

"You're not a burden."

She rolled her eyes at him, but said nothing.

"You aren't."

"I spent five years of my life doing things other people wanted me to do, Hiei. It sucks, and I don't want you to be doing the same thing for me."

The fire demon opened his mouth and closed it with a groan, turning away as his patience began to dwindle. "Mai, I don't know how to make you understand that what I want to do is make you happy. I haven't built up many hobbies or friendships in my life that I am giving up to be with you. You are my life, and what will make you happy will do the same for me."

The blonde turned to him, lips parted as she was about to reply, when she froze, eyes locked on something over his shoulder. Turning, he saw two guys who looked to be in their early twenties. One had pale skin and red-ish hair. The other had tanned skin and was blond. What they had in common, however, was that they both appeared to be looking Mai up and down. The blond leaned over and muttered something to his friend and the redhead nodded, smirking appreciatively.

"Ignore them," Hiei instructed, stepping slightly to the side to shield his mate from the far too curious eyes.

He noticed that she had paled considerably, but still seemed relatively composed. With a hand that was only slightly shaky, she gathered more water in her hand and let it run over the sides of her shoulders again.

"Yeah, baby, get all nice and wet for us!"

"Aw, yeah, I'd tap that!"

Hiei felt his anger rise dangerously. Unable to kill the two humans who dared to harass his mate, he settled for turning around with a venomous glare and his middle finger raised at them. They laughed and high-fived each other and the fire demon had to use every last ounce of his will power to keep from attacking them. Instead, he wrapped his arm around his mate's shoulders, pulling her now trembling form into his side, and led her back to their friends.

When they reached the blanket, Mai's knees buckled and she fell onto it. Hiei caught her beneath her arms, making the impact fairly soft. He took a towel and wrapped it around her form, again curled up on itself. Her arms were clutched tightly over her chest and abdomen and her knees were pulled up, her ankles crossed.

"What happened?" Yusuke asked immediately. "Mai, are you okay?"

She didn't reply, she only stared at her kneecaps which were poking out from beneath the towel.

"Mai?"

Hiei sat beside her and wrapped both arms around her, pulling her still shaking body against his. He kissed the top of her head briefly, not minding the many staring eyes, before tucking her beneath his chin.

None of the group said anything, but exchanged looks of surprise; no one had pegged Hiei as the type who would ever show any sort of public affection. They barely saw him kiss her when they were together at someone's home.

Keiko stood on her toes for a moment, her lips reaching Yusuke's ear. "He must really, truly love her."

Yusuke nodded, silently adding, _So fucking much._


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I know, I am awful about updating this time around… Thank you for the reviews and all the favorites and followers and whatnot though! I appreciate it and am glad that this story is also being received well! I don't know for sure where I am going with this yet; I have a general idea of where I am heading but unlike Dance I am not certain as to exactly which scene I am envisioning to end with, which is part of my problem in writing this one. Anyways, that was just another reason besides college that these updates are so much slower than on Dance. So leave some reviews, and hopefully this chapter was worth the wait!

* * *

"They have been quiet for too long."

Emiko glared in the direction the gruff voice had come from. She looked down her nose at the tall man standing in front of her high-backed chair on its elevated platform. For a moment, she reveled in the feeling of power and superiority, knowing that someday soon one of the elders' chairs could truly be hers. All she had to do was remove the biggest of the clan's disgraces and the title was hers.

"It is the weak girl," she brushed the concern off.

"The fire demon is too aggressive to have not reacted at all yet. Too territorial to not fight back after something of his was defiled."

The wind demoness glared down at the man. "Mamoru, are you doubting my information?"

He turned his back to her briefly before disappearing. Emiko bristled as he reappeared, lounging in one of the elders' chairs on the highest platform. His right arm hung leisurely over the arm of the chair and his slouched posture exuded comfort and a lack of respect that the dark haired woman did not appreciate at all.

"I am doubting you," he answered finally, his steely gaze locked on her face in a would be casual way if his voice wasn't so hard and serious. "We have kept tabs on this demon since his younger days in the Dark Tournament; he can be hasty when threatened or when he is after something. Rarely careless, but sometimes willing to give things up. He does not fear death for himself; there is no reason he should not have come by now. We have insulted him in one of the worst way demons know how – we have known his mate."

"And you could send ten more minions out there to do the same to her; it would only slow his reaction even more," Emiko snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "He will not move until he is sure she is safe again. And I do not mean physically safe exclusively."

"So, what, you think he is holding himself back because he wants to be with her or some shit?" Mamoru ground out, then spat on the ground. "Fucking disgusting. Defiling the demon race, that is."

Emiko sighed and said, "In time, you can get what you want. You can get rid of him and I can destroy the girl."

"And why exactly does the girl need to be destroyed?" the taller demon asked suspiciously. "What benefit is there in killing some half-breed trash?"

The dark haired woman was silent for a moment, before replying, "Redemption. And, if all goes according to plan, power."

* * *

"Mai?"

"Yeah?" the hanyou mumbled sleepily. She nuzzled her pillow and let out a deep, relaxed sigh.

"You are getting better, right?"

Mai's green eyes popped open in surprise. She turned over and saw that Hiei was sitting up in bed, his shoulder leaning against the wall. He looked tired, she noted, but even more than that he looked angry.

He turned his burning crimson eyes on her and she let out a small gasp, her hand flying up to hover over her chest. She clenched her fist and shifted her watery eyes to the mattress. "I… I am trying to as best as I can. I know it has taken a long time, I-"

As she continued to ramble, Hiei raised an eyebrow at her. He cupped her chin in his palm, lifting her face to look at her more closely. "Koi, why are you upset?"

"A-aren't you angry?"

"No," he answered, taken aback. "Why would I be angry with you?"

"You… you looked angry before," the blonde sniffed.

The fire demon shook his head. "No, I am not angry with you. You are beginning to feel better, though, right?"

Mai nodded her head. "I am not nearly as afraid as I was before. I think I may want to try going somewhere by myself, actually."

Hiei narrowed his eyes at his mate, but brushed the suggestion off for the time being. "I must start planning the counterattack on the Firebird Clan. They have been up to who knows what, and as it is, no one touches what is mine."

A growl he could not suppress rumbled somewhere deep in his chest and he grit his teeth trying to stop a more animalistic response from escaping him.

"I think you are right," Mai nodded slowly. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his torso, settling herself against his chest.

Slowly, the fire apparition lifted his arms to return the embrace, blinking several times. He didn't know what he had expected her reaction to be, but whatever he had been expecting, agreement was not it. Tilting his head to try to get a better view of her face without disturbing her in what she clearly found to be a comfortable position, he asked, "Really?"

"Mhm," she affirmed. "It is clear that you are becoming restless, Hiei. I have felt horrible for confining you for so long. You are never so constrained and inactive as you have been. Besides, I know I can't stop you from responding to them. I can just try to make sure you survive whatever plan you come up with."

The dark haired demon lifted a hand and began toying with her honey locks. He let the long, soft tendrils run through his fingers, savoring the feeling against his calloused skin.

"You sound like your old self."

"Good," she sighed happily, clearly on her way to falling back to sleep.

"Perhaps you can go to the store or something at some point during the next few days," he gave in to her earlier question. "But I will watch with the Jagan eye."

"Okay…" Mai muttered softly. Hiei inclined his head forward and saw that a small smile had graced her lips. "Goodnight, Hiei."

"Hn. Night, koi."

Her smile grew slightly before fading as she fell asleep. Hiei frowned; she had not said she loved him that night. He was thankful for not having to come up with a response. But more than that, he missed hearing her say it.

He laid down, settling his mate beside him, wondering if she felt the way he felt when she had not said it – if she always felt disappointed and slight disconnected. No, he decided, it was much worse for her.

Because she had never heard it.

* * *

"Fox."

Kurama glanced over his shoulder briefly but continued stirring the contents of the pot on the stove before him.

"Hiei," the redhead reciprocated the greeting.

"What are your feelings for your woman?"

"Can you elaborate on that?" Kurama asked coolly, adding some spices to the pot.

The fire demon rolled his crimson eyes impatiently but explained, "Do you want to mate her and if so, what drives that?"

"Yes, I do want to mate her," the taller demon answered slowly. "I haven't quite explained in full what a mating entails, but she knows that it is a bit different than human marriage, so I of course cannot act on my desire to mate her at present. As for what drives it, there is the obvious sexual desire and demonic need for possession, but mostly it is because I have come to love her greatly."

"Have you communicated that to her?"

The fox turned and flashed the fire demon a knowing smile. "Yes, I have. We have exchanged the sentiment."

"Hn."

"Why do you ask?" Kurama continued, in that obnoxious voice that made Hiei want to acquaint the back of his stupid red head with the hilt of the fire demon's own sword.

"How did you decide to tell her?" the shorter male shot back, completely ignoring his friend's question.

"It wasn't something I particularly decided. I just said it because I felt it."

"And it was that simple?"

"Yes," Kurama nodded. "Because I don't have any issues surrounding that word."

"Are you insinuating-?"

"That you have problems with love? Yes, I am insinuating that."

The fire demon growled and jumped at the redhead. He tackled Kurama to the floor, where they tussled for a few moments. Kurama finally pushed Hiei off of him, and the fire apparition's back made contact with the wall. Sighing, he bent a knee, draping an arm over it, and leaned his head back against the wall.

"I don't know why I can't say it."

"You have never had to before," Kurama shrugged. "I grew up saying it to my mother, and I knew it in return from her. You had never known it until Mai, had never heard it directed at you, and you have never had to express such feelings before."

"She knows that I feel it, but I can't imagine that it is enough just to know. After all she had been through in her lifetime… I can't imagine it is entirely fulfilling to be with someone who never says it. None of the men who…"

Kurama frowned as Hiei fell silent, lost in troubled thoughts. "I think she knew upon deciding to be your mate that you are not the type to vocalize such things."

"I am not," Hiei agreed, "but I should have been at least after what happened. I didn't even say it then."

"I meant to ask you: did she ever go to the hospital or anything for a kit to be done or at least for a pregnancy test?"

Hiei shook his head, "She cannot get pregnant and there is no reason to have had a kit done with the perpetrator now on my hit list. We saw no reason to go."

The fox nodded his head. "That's good. I don't think she would have done well on her own for any period of time after that, let alone over a possible short hospitalization based on any injuries she may have ha-"

"What do you mean, she would have been alone?" the fire demon asked sharply.

"I mean that in the ningenkai, marital status is necessary to overrule visitation hours, for some decision making… several things, really."

"So to have stayed with her had she gone to the hospital and been made to stay overnight, I would have had to have been married to her at the time?"

"Essentially, yes."

The fire demon fell silent again before the arrival of Yusuke and Kuwabara to discuss plans of attack.

* * *

Mai woke with a start as she felt a familiar weight sink to the mattress beside her. She groaned as she stretched and sat up, raking her fingers through her messy blonde locks to push them from her eyes. Finally, she turned to her mate, still blinking the last remnants of sleep from her moss orbs. He looked irritated again, and she could only assume the planning had not gone well. Although, she had begun to fear that was the case when it grew late and he still had not returned home.

"Things didn't go well, did they?" she asked, frowning.

"No," he sighed. He turned so that he was merely sitting on the edge of the bed, his back now facing her.

Slowly, methodically, the fire apparition removed his cloak and toed off his boots. He tossed his belts onto the floor one by one before sighing again. Mai watched as he moved to get up, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Hiei glanced back at Mai, raising an eyebrow. "I'm just going to go get a shirt."

"It's okay," she replied, quickly adding, "Unless you are cold."

He shook his head and his eyes travelled to his pillow. Mai sat with her back propped up against the wall and as Hiei lowered himself, she wound her arms around him, pulling him to lie against her. He turned so that his back was against her torso, but angled his face to the side on her chest. He closed his eyes, enjoying the steady rise and fall of her bosom beneath his cheek, and the feeling of her fingers gently gliding through his hair. For the third time, the fire demon let out a sigh, though finally a content one.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Hiei didn't answer right away, making sure that he was in a position that wouldn't become too heavy on her smaller frame. Deciding he was in as good of a position as possible and that he would indulge himself and continue to rest his head between her soft chest and gentle fingers, he answered, "A lot of arguing."

"Over what?"

"The intentions of the clan and how to combat them."

"What were some thoughts on the intentions?"

"Kuwabara and the Detective are still not convinced that what you went through was a warning directed at me. The fox and I may have brought them closer to accepting that truth, but they are still resistant."

Mai sighed. "I will speak to them. There can be no doubts that it was a warning. I will carry their message for the rest of my life, unless you have been holding out on me and actually have a cure for burn scars."

"I do not," Hiei replied apologetically.

"No matter," she shrugged. "What did you discuss doing in retaliation?"

"Well, we didn't get terribly far on concrete planning. Most of the arguing was on your involvement."

He felt her stiffen beneath him and her hand stilled in his hair.

"What were the different sides to the argument?"

"The fools felt you should stay with Genkai over the course of whatever we plan to do. Yukina will be there, and the old woman's territory is surrounded by protective enchantments. It would be safe and comfortable for you.

"Kurama felt that you could be an advantageous asset on our side. They wanted to draw me out by using you, but perhaps if we wait a bit longer and they think they have been unsuccessful, they will want to try something else and we can draw them out."

Mai hummed her understanding, but said nothing.

"I was not thrilled with that particular idea. It puts you in unnecessary danger and beyond that, you are my mate, not my pawn."

The hanyou smiled widely at the dark haired male leaning against her. She continued to run her fingers through his hair affectionately, relaxing once more since she knew that it was understood that she was not comfortable being used in as some sort of trap.

"So did you agree with Yusuke and Kuwabara?"

"No."

"No?"

"No," he repeated.

"Then what is your stance?" A blonde eyebrow rose in question.

Hiei aimed his crimson eyes up at her face, noting her surprised green eyes. "My stance is to ask you what you want to do. I felt that being a pawn was out of the question, but if you want to go to Genkai's you can. But what I really wanted to ask was if you want to fight with us."

"I… I am surprised," she admitted, absently sweeping her thumb over his cheek.

"You deserve a chance at revenge if you want it. I will not make you stay behind while I go out and try to right the way you were wronged. Trust me, sometimes you feel best knowing that you won your honor back."

Mai nodded. "I do want to fight. I tried to avenge my honor and the years of my life I lost to Kazai, but I was too weak then. I will make the ones who have hurt me and used me pay this time. If you will help me prepare, of course."

"Absolutely, koi."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hello all! I know… I am awful about updates on this story. Rest assured, they aren't going to stop, I have just been super busy. This week is finals so I have been tying up a lot of loose ends. Anyways, I will be heading home soon, and although that means going back to working all the time, I should be able to build my reserve of chapters back up. Anyways, thank you for the reviews, I loved them as always! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! Please review and make my day a little brighter during this finals week!

* * *

"You need to use your element, onna!"

A snarl parted Mai's lips as she swung another fist at her mate. He caught her hand easily, twisting her wrist to a painful angle. She pulled her hand roughly from his grasp, spinning around as she did so. Her leg swung up as she came around, nearly making contact with his side before he disappeared. The hanyou stretched her senses, feeling out the surrounding area for his spirit energy; she had learned the hard way that not all enemies could be spotted by using the wind. When she felt him, she spun around and saw that he was flying toward her.

"Fist of the Mortal Flame!"

Mai gaped for a second before her hands instinctively flew up in front of her, palms out and fingers splayed. A forcefield of air materialized from her palms just in time to catch Hiei's attack. He was suspended in the air for a moment, his flame still trying to get through her barrier. The blonde focused on calling more wind to her protective wall, keeping it strong beneath her mate's fiery attack. Finally, he dropped his fist and disappeared, only to reappear behind her once more, a foot meeting her kidney. She winced, but ducked low to the ground, letting the momentum of her mate's kick send him in front of her as she did so. He flipped himself around to face her, catching the punch she had aimed at him. Mai smiled slightly to herself, as she uncurled her fingers just slightly, releasing a few puffs of wind from the tiny tornado she had condensed in her palm. Hiei pulled his hand away quickly as the air opened cuts in his own palm.

He reached behind him for his sword, but paused as Mai began to laugh.

"What?" he snapped, still in his aggressive fighting mode.

"If I had really used that attack, you wouldn't be able to do that right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I barely let any of my energy out. You wouldn't have that hand anymore if I had," she smiled sweetly at him.

Hiei turned his eyes to the slices her power had made in his hand. They stung, but would heal quickly. He smirked down at his mate and said, "Good. You are finally using your element."

"Don't let it go to your head; I was still trying not to, but my body just started moving."

"Even better," the fire demon replied. "Let your body move in battle; it knows better than your mind what to do on many occasions."

He snaked his arm around her waist, settling his hand on her hip. She tensed slightly, but let it be as they silently began their walk back home.

* * *

"We should take the day off training, koi."

Mai turned to look at her mate with wide, surprised moss eyes. "What?"

The fire demon had to stifle a laugh at her expression and the fact that she had paused in the middle of pulling on her shirt. She stood facing him, her arms through her sleeves and the shirt pulled halfway over her chest, her hands frozen on the hem. He stood up and tugged the shirt down the rest of the way for her, unable to suppress a chuckle.

"You are already quite bruised, koi. I see no need to add more today."

"But-"

"And anyways," Hiei continued, cutting her off. "I would much rather just do something with you today. Perhaps you would like to go see your father?"

Evidently, he had said the wrong thing, because Mai frowned and her eyes turned to the floor.

"I do not want to draw attention to him, nor do I feel I am ready to face him after what happened. I cannot tell him, but I am worried that he will see that something is wrong."

"Then we won't go today," the fire demon consented, rushing to switch topics. "Would you like to see if the fox and his woman are available to do something?"

Mai shook her head, wandering over to the bed where her mate sat. She crawled onto it from the foot of the bed, stretching out on her stomach. Pulling her pillow beneath her head, she turned to look at Hiei.

He raised an eyebrow at her and she replied, "Well, you did just say you have been bruising me. That kidney shot the other day was not the most delightful feeling you have ever left me with."

The fire demon blushed lightly.

"Well, I can't say that the blast of wind I got to my chest was the best feeling you have ever given me, either, koi."

"Then we are in agreement," she mumbled, nestling her face into her pillow. "We are just going to lay here."

"You can," Hiei allowed, "But I am going to check out how bad that kidney shot was."

"Don't," she replied, waving him off with a lazy flick of her wrist. "It's just a little sore, but it's not a big deal."

The dark haired male ignored her, carefully pulling her shirt halfway up her back. He frowned at the indigo contusion that met his eyes. The very center was still a deep purple, despite the few days that had passed. The bulk of it was a painful looking indigo, and there was a small ring of yellow around the edges, indicating that healing had only just begun.

He shifted so he was sitting next to her on the bed before letting his fingers brush over the bruise. Mai let out a breath and let him continue to trace the bruise, enjoying the tickling sensation his fingers left on her skin. After a few moments, she flipped onto her back, leaving Hiei's hand to hover over her stomach.

"May I ask you something?"

The fire demon nodded, lowering his hand to rest lightly on her stomach. Her shirt was still pushed up from his examination of her skin, so he circled her navel with his index finger idly as he waited for Mai to speak again.

"What made you decide to give our courtship a chance?"

"Where is that coming from?" the fire demon responded, lifting an eyebrow in surprise.

"You can't answer a question with a question."

Hiei rolled his eyes slightly and said, "Yukina."

"How did she affect your decision to come back?" Mai asked, her own brows lifting upwards, clearly not having expected his answer.

"I spoke with her and she helped me see that I had a chance to be happy by being with you."

"I see."

Lowering himself to his side on the mattress next to her, he lifted his crimson eyes to her face. She looked contemplative, but also sad. "What's wrong, koi?"

"I wonder if it would have been better for you to have stayed away like you originally intended."

"Why would you say that?" he replied sharply, watching her shift to angle her body away from him ever so slightly.

Mai couldn't meet his eyes as she answered, "Because nothing has been easy for you since you decided to court me."

"I really do not want to have this conversation again, Mai."

"What are you-?"

"I don't know how many times we have to argue about whether or not it is worth it to be with you or about whether I'm really as happy as I could be. Stop feeling guilty about the hurdles we have come across and come to grip with the fact that it is worth it, I am happy, and I have no doubt that I would have been unhappy if we were apart."

She laughed humorlessly before stating dryly, "Maybe you could sympathize more if you were ever the weaker one in a situation. It's always me, though. Always my fault. I was captured by Kazai. I was forced into the sex industry. I failed in my fight to defeat him and I almost died. I was the one whose mother wanted her dead. I have major self-esteem issues. I had an eating disorder. And now, I'm the one that was raped. I'm not having a pity party, either, so don't take this the wrong way. But it is always me that always has to have you come save me, come drop everything to help me out, to risk your life for my well-being, to stand up to defend me. I feel so guilty it's honestly-"

"Don't feel guilty for things I chose to do. No one forced me to fight Kazai. No one forced me to want to stand up against your mother. No one is forcing me to go on the attack against the Firebird Clan. I am doing it out of choice, not obligation."

"I just don't-"

"If I was injured in battle, would you leave me and run away or would you fight and save me?"

"I would fight for you," the hanyou answered without hesitation.

"Then why don't you think that I would do the same?"

The question hung in the air, floating amid the tense silence, and was left unanswered.

* * *

"Yo, Mai, you and Hiei doin' okay?"

The blonde adjusted her hands on the teacup she was holding, frowning down at the dark brown liquid within it. She hadn't a clue why she had poured herself the bitter liquid; probably just to go through the motions of having a guest over because she didn't want it in the slightest.

"Just a little tense, I suppose. We fought the other day is all."

* * *

"So, Hiei, want to tell me what's wrong with you and Mai?"

The fire demon shot the ever-knowing fox a glare. "Hn. No."

"Fighting, are you?"

Gods, if only Hiei could punch the smirk off the fox's face…

* * *

"What about?"

"Yusuke, I don't want to talk about it."

"What is it that you couldn't even tell your big brother?"

The hanyou let out a sigh, lifting her eyes to Yusuke's brown ones.

* * *

"Fuck off, fox."

"Shall I just continue guessing or are you going to tell me?"

"I don't think she gets how I feel."

"You don't think she knows you love her?"

* * *

"He doesn't get how I feel about this… like… our uneven relationship."

"Wait, you want him to see you as a burden?"

"He just doesn't see that this isn't… that it isn't worth it for him. I hate myself for doing this to him."

"So you do want him to see you as a burden."

* * *

"She doesn't," the fire demon stated simply, his fingers curling into fists so tight that he drew blood.

"She does, though, Hiei."

"Hn, that's why she doesn't get why I would give up everything for her."

"She just feels guilty. Imagine always having to be saved, or always being the one who needs a shoulder to lean on."

* * *

"I… I don't know, Yusuke. I… I trapped him, basically. And even if he does realize it, there's nothing he can do about it."

"You trapped him?"

Mai hummed her affirmation, lifting a hand to her mating mark.

The charm bracelet on her wrist caught Yusuke's eye and he said, "That's not what those charms say."

* * *

"Yeah, I get it; she told me all about it."

"Then just accept it and go back to normal with her."

"I can't if she still doesn't get that I…" Hiei groaned. "Fuck."

"Even if you said it, she would still feel guilty."

* * *

"Our little fire demon has some problems with expressing himself, Mai. He can't find the words, so he said what he had to say in a different way," the Spirit Detective continued. "Wind. Eternal. Love. Fire. He loves you, Mai."

"I know," she nodded. "But I don't see why."

"Gods," he smirked. "You guys are just two peas in a pod."

"What?"

* * *

"You don't know that," the fire apparition challenged.

"You'll figure out what to do."

"I'm getting sick of your damned advice."

Kurama just smiled at his angry, confused friend who was entirely out of his comfort zone.

* * *

"He doesn't get why you love him either."

"That… doesn't make sense."

"Think on it," Yusuke grinned.

"Thanks, big bro."

* * *

Hiei set his sword down as well as the stone he had used to sharpen the blade. There was something about the back and forth movement of swiping the stone over the edge of the blade that was incredibly calming. Or maybe he enjoyed the process because his mind remained occupied by the need for precision.

Crimson eyes roamed up towards the door, hearing Mai enter the room. They made eye contact for a moment before the fire demon looked away, gazing out the window as he leaned back on the window seat. Mai crossed the room, surprising her mate when she skillfully sat herself between his legs without moving him out of his position. He was even more surprised when she curled herself against his chest and nuzzled her nose against his collarbone.

"Can we begin training again?"

She was three for three on what seemed to be Mission-Catch-the-Fire-Demon-Off-Guard. Hiei blinked a few times before affirming, "Hn."

"I figure that'll solve this problem. I will just be prepared this time and then I will have nothing to feel guilty about. Problem solved."

"You thought that was the problem?" he asked, surprised once more.

"I sure hope it was, because if it wasn't, I'm at a loss."

"I thought you didn't understand why I will protect you."

The blonde shook her head as much as her position would allow, "No, I understand."

"You sure about that?"

"I do get it, Hiei. Same reason that I would protect you."

"Hn."

"You thought that was the problem? That I don't know that?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "It seemed implied."

"Because I didn't answer why I didn't think you'd protect me like I'd protect you? I didn't answer because I don't think that; there is nothing I could have explained and I thought you knew that."

The fire apparition muttered something along the lines of, "Could have said that," but Mai ignored it. She sat up and sighed, looking out the window at the trees which were gently swaying in the breeze.

Turning her eyes back to her mate's, she saw him watching her, a blank expression on his face. Stealing herself, Mai leaned forward and captured his lips. He didn't respond for a moment, probably surprised at her sudden movement. Her hand rose so her fingers could trail lightly down his jawbone, then down his throat and across his collarbone. She let her hand rest on his t-shirt clad shoulder as his lips began moving against hers. He pulled away slightly, taking her full lower lip between his teeth and tugging at it lightly before allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. Her taste filled his senses, so familiar and yet it had been missing from him for so long.

His hand lost its way in her honey waves, the strands becoming entangled around his fingers. His tongue probed her mouth, swiping over her own tongue in the process. She inhaled slightly at the contact, resulting in a pause of the fire demon's exploration. Upon deciding it was a good gasp, he continued by tracing the outline of her lips with the tip of his tongue. The nimble muscle swooped under her lower lip before arching up to her top one, dipping gracefully down into the bow. Mai's hands gripped his shoulders tighter, spurring the demon to move to her neck. He trailed kisses down to her shoulder and up to her ear before nibbling at the soft flesh. Kissing the hollow at the base of her throat, the fire demon smirked at the shiver he had invoked in his mate.

Crimson eyes trailed up to a slightly flushed face. The hanyou's lips were red and her hair was a ruffled mess, the side of her neck pink from attention it had not been paid in quite some time. Gathering his self-control, Hiei leaned backwards, away from his mate. He knew that tonight was not the night – he could see it in Mai's moss eyes despite her other obvious physical reactions. Instead of getting himself in too deep, the dark haired male sighed, gathered his mate in his arms, and leaned back against the wall, looking out the window once more.

"Thank you."

"Hn. Sleep, koi. We will begin training again tomorrow morning."

Mai smiled widely, though Hiei did not catch it as he was observing the phase of the moon. "Excellent."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey guys! I know that I am seriously awful because it takes me so long to update now. So I made a fairly long chapter and I put in some good old sexual tension and situations for ya! A reader asked me a couple chapters ago when I would be writing another lemon, and I'm not entirely sure when it is going to come in, but I have intended since before Dance was even over to have a lemon (maybe two) in this story as well. So no worries, there will be another eventually. Thank you for the couple of reviews I got last time and please, please keep them coming. I love them and they encourage me to keep going! On that note, here is the much overdue next chapter!

* * *

Hiei couldn't help but feel somewhat cheerful as he walked down the street towards the apartment he shared with Mai. They were no longer fighting, she knew how he felt for her even though he had not said it, she was making progress both in fighting and in gaining her old self back, and he was heading home after an afternoon of successful planning with his comrades. He felt confident that soon they would be ready to start putting the first steps of the plan into place. Then it would be a matter of time before those who had attacked his mate and who wanted him dead were out of the picture.

The fire demon saw a couple ahead along the path he was taking through the park. He slowed, seeing the woman's surprised face, at the words the fire demon had not caught from the male. Slowly, he watched the man shift from his seat on the park bench to kneel in front of the woman, his hand moving into his pocket. The woman's face appeared frozen in an expression of shock, her pale blue eyes blinking rapidly and her hands rising to hover in front of her mouth. With a smile, the man presented a ring to the woman, and the fire demon watched intently as the woman began to cry tears of happiness and threw her arms around the man before he could even ask the question Hiei now knew was on the tip of the human's tongue. The man hugged her back before pulling away just long enough to slip the ring on her finger before being caught up in a kiss.

The sight brought the fire apparition to move quickly out of the park before continuing at a more casual pace once again. Was that how humans proposed marriage to their partner? It seemed just like in the horrid movies he had once watched with the fools and the women, but somehow he thought it was just another exaggerated, unrealistic thing ningen movies portrayed. But it really happens like that? With all the tears and the hugging and it clearly being so well planned out? And it is truly proposed in conjunction with the offering of jewelry? The short male's head was spinning with a jumble of thoughts, which he tried to push off as he neared home.

It was weird, he reflected, that in such a short span of time he had come to change his definition of home so completely. Home was always wandering the lands of the Makai. Home, for a brief time, was his favorite tree in the ningenkai, but only because he had to find a place he felt comfortable in during his probation. And then again, the Makai was his home as he helped defend the border. But now… now home was with his mate in the ningenkai, a place he never thought he could truly feel at home in. She had made such an impact in his life, and to think, at first she was just some silly hanyou woman simply dirtying herself with strange ningen customs. He never thought on that day he first met her that he would have come to want to protect her so fiercely or that he could have found such feelings for another, let alone that someone else could come to love him.

He owed her so much more than he could ever giver her in return. She would never agree with him on that account; he knew she would always insist that he was the one who debt had to be repaid to. She would always think it was he who was too good for the relationship they shared and that she was a burden who caused trouble and who changed who he had once been. Mai would probably never understand how thankful he was that she had changed him. She had saved him from the bleak monotony his life had become. Protect the border. That was all he had before her. Now, he had a mate whom he loved more than life itself, and he had a reason to live and a reason to fight once more. She had given him back life, and this time, the life he led was a happy one. He would always feel indebted to the woman who had helped him experience all the things he never thought he deserved to have and to feel.

And slowly, he was beginning to think of a way to help her see it, even if just a fraction of how he truly felt.

* * *

"Mai? What's wrong?"

The blonde jumped, surprised at the sudden arrival of her mate. He was suddenly at her side, his hands curling around her wrists and his eyes searching her body for any damage or anything out of place. When he found nothing, he searched her eyes which, out of surprise, tears were no longer falling from.

"Koi?"

Mai blushed, knowing the urgency in his voice was unnecessary. She couldn't meet his worried crimson eyes as she said, "Don't worry, I am alright."

"Then why are you crying?"

She gestured toward the book that had fallen from her hands when Hiei had grabbed them explaining, "I was reading something and it took a turn for the sadder."

Hiei sighed in relief, settling on the couch next to her. He tucked her under his chin and held her against his chest. "What happened?"

"You are going to think I'm silly," she blushed again.

"I'm curious."

The hanyou sighed and replied, "There was a couple and they fell in love in less than ideal circumstances, and in the end they had to go their separate ways due to orders from someone who was of great authority. Though they found new people to love, neither forgot the other. They were each other's first loves and they still loved the other until death. Each had a special place in the other's heart despite the new lives they had forged for themselves and they wondered each in their own deaths if the other still loved them and if they had found something better than what their life together would have been."

"Sounds emotional," the fire demon shrugged.

"It made me wonder… I could never have done what she did. I could never find someone else to lead my life with. There is no one I could love like I love you and I would never be able to live not knowing what would have happened if we had not gone separate ways as we had been ordered. I mean, I was simply thinking about the plot in terms of us, which is not realistic, but I just… I imagined how hard it would be for me to live the rest of my life away from you and to die not knowing if your feelings for me had remained." Her moss eyes filled with tears again. "It was so fucking sad."

Hiei moved his hand in circles on her back, not saying anything as she sniffled and a few tears pattered on his collarbone after falling from her eyes.

"Sorry, I know it's silly," she muttered.

Hiei kissed her temple lightly. "We will never have to lead lives apart, koi. It is simply not an option. Unless you choose to leave, this is not a negotiable arrangement we have going."

She hummed and said, "I do not think I could choose to leave for any reason. Even if I felt it was for your safety or my own… I don't know if I could do it. I am too selfish when it comes to you."

The fire demon returned the smile she gave him and lightly pecked her nose.

"Planning went well?"

"Hn," he nodded. "I will tell you about it later."

Mai raised a questioning eyebrow at her mate.

He shrugged slightly, saying, "I just want to hold you for a moment."

Mai smiled and snuggled into his warmth, her hand coming to rest over his heart.

* * *

Mai was beginning to worry about Hiei. He had taken a quick, two day trip to the Makai, much to his chagrin. Yusuke had become a permanent fixture in their apartment during his absence, most certainly on orders from the fire demon. The blonde missed her mate in his first prolonged absence since that night nearly three months ago. She had expected him to feel much the same, but instead, he simply seemed to shy away from her. He seemed constantly on edge in her presence, avoiding physical and eye contact alike. It perplexed the hanyou, and she was worried that something had transpired while he was at the border assisting Mukuro in preparing her army for the impending attack on the Firebird clan.

"Hiei?"

The fire apparition jumped, surprising Mai. He breathed a sigh and turned back to the map he had been examining in his perch on the window seat of their bedroom. Mai frowned at his lack of response.

Stepping forward, she repeated, "Hiei?"

"Koi?" he replied, not looking up from the parchment in his hands.

The blonde noted that although his eyes were trained on the map, they were not moving. He simply did not want to look at her. Ideas spun around her head, each speculation as to the root of his odd behavior more worrying than the next.

"Did something happen in the Makai?"

"No," he answered, perhaps a little too quickly. "We just prepared the army, they will be ready at a moment's notice if need be."

"Then why…" Mai frowned and bit her lip. "Why are you acting so strange?"

"Strange?"

The hanyou hummed her affirmation and watched her mate turn to look out the window. "Yes, you have been acting strangely since you came home."

"Hn."

"Nothing at all happened?" Mai paused, then forced herself to ask, "Nothing with Mukuro?"

The fire demon's head snapped in her direction. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… exactly what it sounds like. Did something happen with you and Mukuro?" Now that the fear had been stated aloud, Mai couldn't stop the words pouring from her mouth. "You won't touch me or even look at me, Hiei! I can't help but wonder what could have happened that it repulses you to even make eye contact with me. Is it me? Is it something with you? I just-"

"Nothing happened with Mukuro, and I am sorry if I gave you the impression that something of that nature had occurred. The entire affair was completely platonic, and it will remain that way. It is merely something she… heavily suggested."

"What did she say?"

"It's… nothing."

Mai sat beside him on the window seat, folding her legs beneath her. "You are doing nothing to quell my worries."

He rolled his crimson eyes slightly in defeat, before answering, "It is really nothing I think you would like to hear."

"Still not making me feel any better. Does she still have feelings for you?"

"I don't know; we only talked about you."

Mai lifted a honey brow in question. "Me?"

"How you are… recovering."

"Well, did she suggest the next step, or…?"

"You could certainly call it that."

"Well then what is it? Of course I want to hear!" Mai said excitedly.

Hiei frowned and looked away uncomfortably. "Just remember, this is her suggestion, not mine."

"Hiei!"

"She feels it is time to begin rekindling our sex life."

Silence filled the space between them for a several minutes.

"Oh," Mai said finally, her cheeks flushed.

"I didn't really… Well, it's not complete disagreement… But not really agreement per say…"

"Well, how did she suggest we do that?"

Hiei blinked several times in surprise. "You aren't opposed?"

"No," she shook her head. "I can't guarantee that I am ready to go jump in bed with you right off the bat, but if she suggested steps… I am sure we can get there again. I did thoroughly enjoy our sexual activity."

Nodding slowly, the fire demon folded the parchment up and placed it on the floor beneath the window. "There are steps she gave for doing it. Do you want me to tell you now, or whenever we try them?"

"Tell me as we go. It could be…" Mai blushed but pressed on. "It could make things more fun."

Hiei cleared his throat to hide the groan of anticipation that bubbled up his throat.

"Want to start now?" asked the blonde, as if she could sense his impatience.

He nodded and watched as Mai stood. "Do we… go to the bed?"

The dark haired male nodded absently, following her as they both made their way over to the bed. Sitting down on the edge, the couple avoided eye contact for a moment, not sure how to proceed.

"Okay, so what's first?" Mai began.

"First, it's sort of like when you were getting used to contact with other people again. Touch and letting me…"

"Say it."

The fire demon cringed slightly as he choked out, "You have to let me explore you."

"Was that so hard?" she asked softly, lifting her hand to run her fingers down the side of his face, leaving a tingling sensation behind. "Explore away."

After a moment of hesitation, Hiei brought his hands to run over her shoulders and down her arms. He took her right hand in both of his, cradling her wrist in palm and gently skimming his fingers across her palm and down her forearm, knowing she was ticklish there. She giggled and leaned in to press an appreciative kiss to the side of his neck.

Hiei groaned again and moved his hands down to her thighs. He smoothed his hands over her legs down to her ankles before stroking back up. She wore sweatpants, which meant that the motions were not on her skin, but it was certainly a start. The blonde hadn't shown the slightest sign of discomfort thus far and it encouraged him to nibble her earlobe lightly as his hands traveled up and down her sides.

"Next," he muttered, his mouth still at her ear, "We lose some clothes."

"Pants first," she requested, and a moment later, his hand was gently pulling her sweatpants down her legs. He tossed them to the side and paused to trail his fingers up her leg again, relishing in the soft, silky texture. After swiping his fingers across the back of her knees, his thumb did a few circuits over her thigh and Mai shifted to sit up straighter.

"Shirt," she muttered.

He consented, carefully pulling her shirt up and tossing it off beside her pants.

"Lay back."

Mai did so, lending Hiei a view he had missed sorely. Her hour glass met his eyes in full glory. The dips were deep yet gently sloped. His hand splayed over her stomach, index finger swirling around her navel. Crimson eyes moved up and found her breasts beautifully cupped in a navy blue bra. Her chest rose and fell with her breaths and Hiei found himself mesmerized for a moment.

"Next would be for me to… continue the exploration. Still above the fabric."

"Then do it."

His hand trailed up and his fingers brushed over the skin exposed above the fabric of the bra. Adjusting his position so he was hovering over her, the fire demon nuzzled her neck affectionately. His tongue flicked back and forth across her skin and his hand closed around her left breast. He kneaded the soft flesh in a circular motion, his efforts slow and gentle. His other hand rose and mimicked the action on the other breast and he could feel her nipples hardening beneath the fabric. The realization caused a twitch in his nether region and brought a husky noise from his throat.

"The next step is to remove this rather," he swallowed loudly, "cumbersome article of clothing."

Mai bit her lip, but nodded after a moment.

Hiei reached behind her back and struggled for a few seconds with the clasp; his fingers were out of practice and it took a few tries to get the flick of his wrist right. He pulled the bra from her body and adjusted his weight so he was straddling her hips. His cock twitched again, beginning to stiffen. Her breasts were as beautiful as he remembered – full, well rounded and with pert pink buds. He took a stiffened bud between his thumb and index finger, rolling it gently as his lips moved to her neck. Teeth nipped and his tongue licked away the redness as his hands continued their work at her bosom. Slowly, he trailed a line of kisses down her neck and across her collarbone before moving to envelope a nipple with his lips. He suckled gently at the flesh for a minute, relishing in the feeling, before gently scraping his teeth over the tip.

Mai felt her mate getting harder against her hips. As he leaned forward to kiss across the upper swells of her breasts, she could feel he was getting hard quickly. The realization hit her like a good punch to the stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. She was not ready to go any further and it was a bit uncomfortable already to have his mouth all over her so quickly.

"Hiei, stop."

The fire apparition grunted but continued to swirl his tongue around the neglected nipple.

"Stop it, Hiei, that's it for tonight!" she repeated.

Coming to his senses, the swordsman pulled his mouth from her and shook his head to clear it of the fog her body always brought upon him.

"I'm sorry, koi. I lost control a bit there."

"It's fine," she replied, her arms crossing over her chest. "I just… I can't yet. It was still there, in the back of my mind. His greasy hair all over me…"

"We are getting there," he promised before placing a kiss on the tip of her nose. Pulling away and looked embarrassed, he said, "I would stay to comfort you longer, but I need to take care of something or else we will need to change the sheets."

Mai nodded, muttering an apology. Hiei waved it off before hastily heading towards the bathroom. He stripped off his clothes and looked down at his member, already almost completely hard just from going to work at her breasts. She hadn't even touched him, yet his arousal was great and quickly growing.

He turned the water on in the shower and stepped under the warm spray, all the while thinking on how much he had truly been missing the sexual aspect of their relationship. He had been suppressing it, knowing it was the last thing she needed to deal with. Now, though, his desire had been rekindled and he wasn't sure how he was going to handle it. Shaft grasped in his palm, the fire demon thought of how controlling himself would be different this time. When they were courting, he hadn't known what he was missing. He had never been with a woman, let alone the woman just in the other room.

The short man thought of how this time, whenever they were experimenting, he would know just what the end result could be, or what he would be missing out on if it didn't work. His hand worked faster as he recalled a particularly great experience which had happened in that very shower. Who knew that the spray of a shower could work so well to his advantage? All it took was good aim and some flexibility and then….

The fire demon groaned and felt the muscles in his abdomen become less tense. He breathed heavily for several minutes and let the water spraying from the nozzle remove the evidence of just how aroused he had been from the walls.

_Gods,_ he thought. _I don't know how I'll do it this time._

* * *

_Buzz. Buzz. Buzz._

The fire demon groaned, sitting up slightly. He reached over Mai's sleeping form, his hand fumbling on the nightstand for his buzzing communicator.

Finding it, he flipped it open and hissed, "Someone had better be dead or I'll-"

"Dude, Koenma just told me that some of his forces have found out that the Firebird clan is mobilizing, but not just some of them. All of them are gathering."

The fire apparition rolled his eyes and whispered, "Did you think they would only send a few after us? After the Dragon?"

"Do you know how many there are?"

Hiei raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Thousands, man."

A groan escaped Hiei's lips and he looked over at Mai, who was stirring slightly in her sleep.

"Mukuro's army is on our side. That doesn't sway numbers in our favor, since only a portion has been appointed to fight with us, but it does give us the advantage of a surprising number."

"You think they'll think it'll just be us and maybe a few old allies?"

Hiei shrugged and said, "Is it expected that I would be in command of a decent sized army?"

"I dunno; I'm no good at thinking like the enemy. I just do shit and hope it works."

"Thanks for reminding me of that comforting fact."

"Anyways, we are wondering now if they are gathering because they need to plan or if it is because they are going to make their next move."

A faint purple glow began emitting from beneath the fabric on the fire apparition's forehead. Hiei was silent for a moment, his natural eyes glazing over. Yusuke waited patiently, looking at what he could see of the room Hiei was in. It seemed to be their bedroom, and he could only assume Mai was sleeping beside his comrade. The hanyou noted that his friend was wearing a long sleeved shirt and wondered for a moment if Mai was reverting back to when she could not stand physical contact.

"They are just planning for now. We still have a little time. A month tops."

"So it could really be any time now."

Hiei nodded.

"She ready for it?"

Crimson eyes slid upwards, doubtless to focus on his mate, before he turned back to the communicator. "For the fight, I believe she is."

"Is she going back to not wanting to be touched?"

Sighing, Hiei replied, "No. Which I am glad of, but it certainly complicates things."

"Then… the shirt?"

Shooting his comrade a glare, the fire demon begrudgingly answered, "It is because of me, not so much for her."

Not wanting to consider the implication of the answer he had received, Yusuke merely nodded. "Okay, well I'll let you go, man. Get back to your lady and try not to have any wet dreams or anything nasty like-"

Hiei growled and snapped the communicator shut. Still seething, he threw it across the room, regretting it almost immediately when Mai let out a tiny moan and lifted her sleep ruffled head. She blinked sleepily at him before raising a hand to rub her eyes. With more focused vision, she looked at him and frowned. With a slight hum, she leaned in and kissed him softly.

Pulling away, she asked, "Do you need to talk about something?"

"It can wait until morning," he replied quietly. He wrapped her up in his arms and buried his nose in her hair. Tightening the embrace, he muttered, "I just want to be with you like this for now."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hello everyone! I know it has been like… FOREVER since I've updated, and I'm really sorry. There's been lots of stuff going on in my family lately and school and work and all that fun stuff… Also, I have been working on a new story as well! I think there will only be a few more chapters in this series, and I have to say I got super inspired with another plot. So once I am done with this story, I will probably start posting my new one, which will be s Captain America x OC one. I am pretty excited about it, and I think I have finally figured out basically how I want Mambo to end, so now I just have to get all the ideas out. Anyways, please, PLEASE review with any questions you may still have about the plot, or what you've liked about this story or what you hope the end is going to bring! I love your feedback and look forward to reading it! Anyhoo, here is the much awaited next chapter. I do hope that the content makes it worth the wait!

* * *

Hiei awoke to find Mai sitting up in bed, a blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders as she gazed at the communicator in her hand. She had clearly found it upon getting up. Sensing that he was awake, Mai turned, questions alight in her moss eyes.

"You said we would talk later. Is this a good time?"

"Hn," he nodded. He took the communicator from her, noting that he hadn't even managed to scratch the damned thing. "Their army is vast. Larger than ours. We have a few weeks, a month at the most."

He expected her to react negatively, whether it had been with fear or anger or concern… anything, really. What she really did was nod, accepting his statement.

"Alright," she said simply.

The fire apparition raised an eyebrow at her. "What are you thinking?"

She tucked a lock of her honey hair behind her ear before readjusting the blanket around her. "I'm thinking that I don't care how many of them there are. They aren't going to win."

"You seem very confident."

Mai smiled, though it was twisted by a mirthless laugh. "They raped me and they want to kill you. No fucking way they're winning. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to take them down and keep them from getting to you."

Hiei said nothing, and kept his face emotionless. He didn't like her mentality on the impending battle, but knew it strongly resembled his own. It didn't matter how many opponents he had to go through to ensure her safety – it was not an option to fail her, and as much as he struggled to accept it, failing him was not an option for Mai.

"Do you have to inform Mukuro of the new time frame we are looking at?" Mai asked, pulling his attention back to the conversation at hand.

"I will, yes," he nodded. He closed his natural eyes, and Mai knew he was communicating with her telepathically. It lasted a few minutes, before Hiei opened his eyes again and turned them on his mate. "They will be ready."

"Shall we train, then?"

The fire demon considered it for a moment. "Do we want to risk running on partially exhausted energies should something occur in the midst of a spar?"

Mai frowned and chewed her lip thoughtfully. "One more, since you said they just began planning. Then we will wait it out."

Hiei consented with a nod.

"And later on… maybe we can try experimenting again?" she asked, her voice sounding hopeful.

Again, the fire demon lifted a brow in surprise. "What brought this on?"

The blonde sighed, adjusting the blanket around her idly. "I don't want to go into a battle we are both willing to lose our lives in without trying to get back to where we were. I want things to be as great between us as they were in the time right after our mating… the time we were both happiest."

"We can try again, then," Hiei answered, his mind already reeling at her words.

"Good. Okay, well I am going to go start making breakfast if you want any before we spar."

"Hn," he answered vaguely. Mai didn't mind, simply getting up from the bed and leaving the bedroom.

A battle they were both willing to lose their lives in. That is truly what this was. They could both come out alive. Or one could come out. Or neither of them could survive.

The truth hit him, finally clicking. Their time together could be limited. He knew he would give up his life for Mai – he had set out knowing he would if he had to – but it didn't translate that after everything was over, it was possible that they would not be together because one or both of them could be dead. For some reason, his mind flashed back to a conversation he had had with Kurama not long after the incident which had started it all. He had explained that in the Ningenkai, there are visitation rights granted only to spouses. It was hard, sometimes, for Hiei to think of how the status of a mating weighed differently in each realm. Here, it meant nothing. And although it was unlikely that either would find themselves in some ningen hospital after waging a demon war, it plagued him suddenly that they lived in a world where their mating meant nothing.

"Hiei, are you sure you aren't hungry?" he heard Mai call from the kitchen.

Shaking the negative thoughts back to the far corners of his mind, the fire demon stood, knowing he would revisit these new realizations again soon.

* * *

"Shit!"

The fire demon dropped his fighting stance and his hands hovered awkwardly in front of him for a moment. Mai waved him off, placing the back of her hand beneath her nose to stem the flow of blood from it.

"I didn't…" Hiei trailed off awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it."

The hanyou pulled her hand away and frowned at the amount of scarlet her eyes found. She looked down at her tank top and sighed at the blood spattered on it. Shrugging, she pulled the garment off over her head and balled it up, holding it beneath her still bleeding nose.

"Shit, koi, I-"

"Stop; it's fine, Hiei."

"I didn't want to make you bleed."

She shrugged, blotting her nose again and sitting on the ground. Patting the ground next to her, she invited him to sit as well. He did so, looking guiltily at the scarlet stain slowly expanding across the fabric beneath her nose. Mai laid back on the ground, hoping gravity would help end the nosebleed.

"I can't decide if I should go see my father soon or not."

"Just in case it's your last chance to?" Hiei forced himself to ask.

Mai nodded. "I mean, I don't plan to die in this battle. But it's a possibility, and I don't know if it is great enough to risk him seeing that something is wrong. And I certainly do not want to explain all of this."

Hiei laid down beside her, his arms beneath his head. He turned slightly to the side, looking at her as she gazed up at the leafy treetops swaying and rustling in the breeze.

"It's up to you, Mai."

"You're no help," she sighed. It was clear she wasn't upset, merely frustrated with yet another unfavorable situation in her life.

"You know," Hiei commented, turning his eyes to the treetops as well. "From that time you told me exactly what your involvement with Kazai was, before I knew about exactly what he had put you through and what he had done to your body, before I knew the details of your family situation, before this entire thing, I wanted little more than to help you start living a happier life."

"Well, although it would seem I can't have everything going right in my life for very long, I am much happier with you than I ever was without you. I really thought I would be alone because no one would want to deal with all of my baggage."

Hiei snorted in a mixture of amusement and bitterness. "Baggage? I think I may have some of that."

Mai laughed lightly and nodded her agreement. "It's like I said all those months ago: we're two peas in one fucked up pod."

"Hn, you were right on that one," he allowed.

"I'm right about a lot of things."

"Cocky."

"Says the cockiest person I know," she laughed.

The fire apparition shrugged, unable to deny it.

"I think I'll write my father a letter, just in case. I will leave it with Keiko or Reika. That way, if something happens, my father will have an explanation and some sort of goodbye from me, and if nothing happens, he need never see it."

Hiei didn't reply, knowing she wasn't asking for his approval. His hand found her wrist and he lifted the back of her hand to his lips.

"I love you," she whispered.

The fire demon pulled at her arm gently, shifting her to lay on top of him. His fingers ran through her hair a few times before he moved it to cradle her head in the crook of his neck. He kissed her temple and they laid in silence, each wondering how much longer they had together.

* * *

Hiei knew Mai had written the letter to her father as soon as she entered the living room. Her face was drawn and her lower lip was trembling. She padded across the carpet to him and settled herself in his lap. The fire demon wrapped his arms around her and pecked her cheek lightly. The blonde sniffled and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Are you alright, koi?"

"I suppose. Better than if I had not written it."

"Just keep that in mind."

She nodded slightly before tilting her head up to kiss his jaw. "Any news on the clan's whereabouts?"

"They have not started moving out yet." When she did not reply, he asked, "How do you feel about that, exactly?"

"I have mixed feelings. I want this to be over, but I don't want to go through with it because of the chances of it being the end of us together."

"You can still back out and no one will think less of-"

"No, it's not that. I am terrified of losing you, Hiei."

The dark haired male frowned and took a moment to reply, finally admitting, "And I you."

Mai finally was unable to hold in the tears she had been trying to suppress since sitting down to write the letter to her father. "I can't imagine anything worse than losing you, you know. Nothing that has happened to me compares to how I would feel to lose my mate whom I love more than anything."

She turned her moss orbs to his crimson ones which were slowly becoming more and more pained. Still, he said nothing, though Mai wasn't sure he was able to. Indeed, he finally cleared his throat before croaking out, "Come with me. I had an idea the other night."

Mai nodded and stood, following him to their shared room. Hiei gestured to the bed and Mai sat herself on it. He sat next to her and grasped her hand, his thumb drawing circles on her palm.

"I think this method can solve our problems rekindling things between us," the fire demon said, his voice unwavering though he did not meet her eyes. "Just trust me, and go with it?"

She nodded her head to his request, trying to relax her suddenly tense muscles; she wanted so badly for things to return to normal before they didn't have the chance anymore.

Her green eyes closed as she felt Hiei run a trail of kisses up her neck. He continued over her jaw to her nose and then settled his lips atop hers. They kissed softly for a while, chastely enjoying the contact. The fire demon slowly parted her lips with his tongue, deepening the kiss in a way much different than how things usually went for them. The kiss was slow and soft still, tiny nibbles here and there mixed with the gentle brush of tongues was somehow much more intimate than their kisses normally turned. In the past, they had always been urgent, fast and full of need. Mai moaned lightly in appreciation as he let his tongue swipe over hers once more.

Hiei continued the slow kiss, waiting for her to make the next move. After a while, she placed a hand at the back of his neck and began to lean back onto the pillows. Her hand brought him down with her and he promptly pulled away to situate himself on his side next to her. She raised an eyebrow at him in confusion as gentle hands coaxed her to turn onto her side so it would be her back facing him.

"Trust me," he whispered. As she turned onto her side, he set to work on her neck once more.

His hands began a slow exploration of her body, beginning by sliding lightly down her arms. He moved to squeeze her hip lightly before his fingers fanned out over her bottom and quickly swooped up her back. He completed this circuit a few times before lifting the hem of her top up. She pushed herself up off the mattress enough for him to pull the garment off of her and he moved his lips to the nape of her neck.

Mai's eyes had long closed in pleasure. The feeling of her mate's lips carefully working over her skin and the flick of his tongue over the spots he nibbled on were intoxicating, not to mention the slow, deliberate movements of his hands. She felt a stirring in her nether region and squirmed, unused to the once familiar feelings of lust and need. Hiei pressed on, sliding down the sheets to continue his trail of kisses down her spine. The hanyou shivered as the air hit the slightly wet trail his lips left in their wake and also at the intimacy of the action. He moved over the curve of her hip before maneuvering himself to lay a kiss on her lips again.

She shivered again when she felt his hand finally go for the clasp of her bra. Her muscles tensed when he flicked the hooks apart, but he didn't remove the clothing right away. Instead, he pressed another kiss to her back, this time in the spot where the clasp had lain. The blonde relaxed again and her mate carefully pulled the bra from her arms and tossed it to the floor. Another round of kisses to her shoulders came after that, his hand lying innocently on her side for a time. After a while, the hand began to rise and he took her breast in his palm. He kneaded the flesh slowly, tenderly. Mai couldn't help the soft moan that tumbled from her lips; the motion felt so much better than it ever had before. It wasn't the normal desperate groping but was very clearly meant to be soothing for her. His thumb brushed over her nipple which, from the time the bra had been removed, was already pert and hardened. Hiei lightly pinched the peak, circling it gently between his thumb and forefinger before snaking his left hand beneath her side to fondle the neglected breast. His lips once again descended on her neck as his hands continued the gentle kneading of her breasts.

This continued for a time before his right hand fanned over her stomach. Suddenly, his hand darted between her legs, wiggling into place pressed against her womanhood through her cotton leggings. Her body tensed again; the last person to come into contact with that most private part of herself had been…

"It's me, koi," Hiei's whisper broke into Mai's thoughts.

He continued to distract her from the dark thoughts he was sure she was struggling with by slowly rotating his fingers, rubbing her through the fabric of her leggings. She hummed her appreciation after several moments and Hiei took the time to remove some of his own clothes in a rush. Mai was about to turn to face him again in curiosity when Hiei's hand on her hip stilled her. He pulled her leggings and panties off in one motion before tickling his fingers across her thighs. Wasting little time, however, his hand had soon returned to her womanhood.

Mai's breath caught in her throat as his fingers went back to work at her clit, this time with nothing separating the sensitive nub from his expert index finger. In their time of near constant intimacy, he had certainly figured out what she liked best, and it was clear that he remembered exactly what worked for her. He nibbled her earlobe as he rotated his index finger clockwise over her bud, occasionally dipping lower. His pace increased slowly until she was breathing heavily and shaking slightly. Her core muscles were trembling, clenching despite the absence of what she began to realize she had sincerely missed. She missed not just the emotional parts of their relationship that were tied to intimacy, but her body had also been missing his.

Her distraction lent Hiei a time to lay his eyes upon the scars she had been so self-conscious of. Indeed, across her hip were four long, thick white scars. Above the bone were four wide circles which dipped down into lines. Hiei knew it was from the long nails of the beast that had attacked her first sinking deeply into the skin then dragging downward, tearing her flesh apart. He felt a new rush of guilt and hurt for his mate's trauma and put all of his concentration into her pleasures at the present.

Perhaps she had missed his body desperately, Mai decided as he withdrew his fingers shortly before an orgasm could hit her. She became aware of his erection pressed against her bottom, his boxers the only thing holding him back. He shed them, but kept his body a few inches from her for a moment, lightly tapping the pad of his finger on her bundle of nerves. He smirked and watched as she jumped slightly with each tap, knowing that despite the lack of pressure he was applying, she was worked up enough that her body had become extra sensitive. Each brief contact made was clearly sending a shot of pleasure through her.

Mai tensed when she felt Hiei's hand lifting her leg up. She unconsciously held her breath as she felt him position his tip at her entrance. He paused and pressed his front into her back. His lips planted a scattering of kisses across her shoulder once more before he muttered huskily against her ear.

"You mean everything to me, Mai; you are my world. No matter what."

The blonde choked on a half sob, but moved her hand behind her to find his face. Her fingers trailed blindly down his cheek, but he interpreted the gesture correctly, pushing into her slowly. His movements were steady for some time, a great feat considering that the fire apparition felt as he had upon having sex with her for the first time. Just as then, as soon as his tip was sheathed within her, he felt like he could burst. He kept up his gentle movements for a while, though she may have felt that he was quivering with the effort of not pounding into her. He wanted desperately to give her some satisfaction and to release her from the fears of her last sexual experience.

With renewed determination, his hand left her thigh, snaking his arm between her legs to continue holding her leg up at the desired angle. His finger found her bundle of nerves once more, and its heightened sensitivity from before had her moaning and panting within minutes. He quickened his pace as her breathing picked up further. His name fell from her lips repeatedly in that breathless way that he had missed terribly. Moving his hand back to her thigh, he pulled back on her leg, causing a change in the angle of her hips so he knew he was hitting her sweet spot with each now hard, fast thrust. It took almost no time at all before she hit her climax, her body shaking against his in ecstasy. And then she did something she had never done before.

She screamed his name.

With that shock, the fire apparition came immediately. He had hoped to continue his movements throughout her orgasm to stretch it out, but that one sound froze his hips and had him releasing himself within her a second later. Still in the throes of pleasure, her inner muscles milked him for all he could give before they both slowly came back down from the high they had been on.

Panting heavily, Mai carefully rolled over, being sure not to allow him to slip from within her. She swung her leg over his hips for good measure, not being nearly ready to feel empty again.

"That was…" she trailed off with a chuckle and a smile. Closing her eyes, she tiredly nuzzled her nose on the spot at the base of his throat.

Hiei wrapped his mate up in his arms and kissed her temple. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she replied. "I feel much better. I missed that much more than I had thought. May I ask something, though?"

"Hn."

"How did you know to do that?"

He shrugged and said, "We failed at trying to do things the way we used to. I figured, perhaps, it was too similar to what happened to you. So I thought a position completely different would work better. Besides, it allowed you to just feel, didn't it? It wasn't so obvious what was happening when you couldn't really see it."

He felt her smile against his skin. "Thank you, Hiei."

She was answered with another kiss to the temple. The fire demon almost thanked her for finally screaming his name for him, something he had deeply wanted for a long while. The feral part of him felt triumphant and his ego was well stroked. He couldn't keep the smile of satisfaction off his face not only at his success in reaching his goal, but also because they had finally returned to how things had once been.

Looking up at him, Mai smiled and a few tears fell from her eyes. He didn't question her, merely hugged her tighter and cradled her against him as they basked in the moment.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I know… I'm awful for how long it has taken me to post another chapter. I think there may only be a few more chapters of this fic, though I don't really have an idea of exactly how many. I think part of my reason for taking so long with chapters is that I really want this story to end perfectly and exactly as I want it to since there isn't going to be another one following this. Plus, college is seriously time consuming. But anyways, I have delayed this chapter long enough, so I will end this rambling note here. Enjoy and please, please review!

"Are we just about ready to finally get a move on with this attack?"

"Patience, Emiko. We will be ready within the week," Mamoru replied, dragging his axe along the sharpening tool in front of him. "Our troops are nearly done their rigorous training for when we do find the fire demon. He is a strong one, and it will most certainly be a challenge to bring him down, but my men will be ready and able by the end of the week."

"Excellent. I have waited far too long for this moment to come," the wind demoness replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched the other demon sharpen his weapon.

"You never did elaborate on what you wanted with the half-breed scum," the male mentioned, running his finger along the edge of his blade to test the sharpness.

Emiko frowned and didn't answer for a moment. "She is mated and is thus the heiress to the Royals of the Wind. And with that title, the most ancient powers of the Wind Gods and Goddesses have been passed on to her. She doesn't know it; we were always careful to keep that knowledge from her. That power has been lying dormant in her useless human father since his mating. It was safe there at least, but now… If she realizes she has this power… I fear for the wellbeing of the clan. I must kill her now before she discovers it and passes it on to even greater filth in our line. To think, the child of a hanyou and the Forbidden One, the next heir to the clan? That simply cannot happen. The power, the authority and the purity of the clan's blood must be returned and that is only possible through her death."

"Then where does the power go?"

"Back to the previous bloodline heir or heiress."

"And who is that?"

Emiko grinned wickedly. "Me."

"Hey, Yusuke?"

"What, sis?"

"How do you cope with the thought that after a battle you may never see Keiko again?"

The male hanyou looked at her in surprise. The two were on their hill in the park, watching the clouds drift by.

"Honestly, I don't really think about it. I think about what has to be done and that I have to do it, no matter what."

"You mean you don't worry about things like not coming out of it?"

"In the moment, sometimes, but not really. You really just have to tune into what's going on. When I think of Keiko or of Keiko being in danger, it gives me strength and the incentive to fight harder, but I don't think of what will happen if I die trying to keep her or anyone else safe. Maybe it's because I've already been dead a couple times," he chuckled.

Mai didn't respond, simply watching another cloud crawl its way across the sky.

Yusuke continued to watch her face, his lip puckering in concern. "Are you worried about this being the end for you and Hiei?"

"Very much so," she muttered. "We're both going into this knowing the other is in danger and knowing we will die to save the other. It seems a recipe for the end of one or both of us."

"Just do what you have to do. Neither of you can be distracted by what-ifs or what could happen next. It's just too dangerous. If Hiei is in danger, protect him and if you are in danger, he will protect you. But don't be so distracted in your fight about what will happen if things don't work out that things… you know… don't work out."

"Thanks, big bro."

"Any time."

"I think this party needs some good old-fashioned reminiscing," Yusuke drawled. He was sprawled out on one of Genkai's sofas, his head in Keiko's lap, one leg propped up on the sofa's arm. Keiko's fingers were slowly combing through her boyfriend's hair which was, for once, not gelled back.

"What, like tell funny stories about stuff we've been through together?" asked Kuwabara, who was seated on a loveseat holding Yukina's hand. She was smiling and looking up at the orange haired boy with admiration.

"Such as, perhaps, the time Yusuke practically slept through several rounds of the Dark Tournament?" Kurama offered as Reika snuggled closer into his side.

"Nah, I was thinking more like the time Kuwabara failed twice at killing Byako the White Tiger at Maze Castle. Threw him off a cliff and into a pool of lava and still couldn't kill him," Yusuke snickered.

"Yeah, well at least I haven't been mistaken for anyone here's girlfriend!"

"Who-?"

The blush on Kurama's face was answer enough to Yusuke's question.

"Well, what about the time we taught Hiei how to play janken? When Kuwabara won, you looked at your hand like it had betrayed you or something!" the redhead laughed.

Hiei grunted and snapped, "Oh yes, that was all great and fun, but how about the time the Detective couldn't even get away from one of the simpletons working for Sensui? The one called Sniper?"

"Oh, how about when Yusuke was all worried about how his heart wasn't beating after he came back to life the second time and it was just a weird demon heart beat?!" Kuwabara chortled.

The hanyou groaned and replied, "Yeah, let's see how you would react if your heart beat totally changed.

"Remember how Kuwabara was defeated by a child with a couple of yo-yos in the Dark Tournament?" Hiei said, chuckling in spite of himself. His arm was around Mai's shoulders and he ran his hand up and down her upper arm a few times.

"Oh shut up, shorty! I beat some guys in that Tournament!"

"I was undefeated," the fire demon pointed out smugly.

Kurama interjected, saying, "Remember how you ran off when Koenma told you that you were only at a middle B class demon after the Tournament?"

"I left because I saw no point in getting involved trying to save the ningenkai. However, that also reminds me of the time you were defeated by a clown in the Tournament."

"Yeah, well what about when you were captured by that enchantress lady?!"

"I freed myself of the woman's hold," the fire demon reminded.

Mai looked at him with curiosity and a hint of jealousy, so Hiei simply shrugged and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"What about the time Yusuke foolishly offered his life to the Forlorn Hope because he thought it would be ridiculous for me to die and save my mother because then she wouldn't have me, even though the same was true for his mother?" Kurama added.

The Spirit Detective grumbled moodily and Kurama continued, "Or the time I had carefully laid out a plan to meet with Koenma about who the enemy opening the tunnel to Demon World was, and you ruined it with a passionate yell of 'Earth to toddler bitch!'?"

"He is a toddler bitch!"

Mai giggled and Hiei nuzzled the side of her neck to hide the smile it brought to his lips.

"Yo, man, remember the time Hiei was trying to play it off like Mai was mad at him, but we totally knew what was really about to go down cuz the amateur couldn't hide his-"

"I am quite positive that no one remembers that instance," Hiei cut Kuwabara off, his voice dripping venom. The orange haired human chuckled nervously and became silent.

"Why don't we share some nice memories? Like our favorite ones?" Keiko suggested, sounding exasperated with the boys' antics.

"Like the time I proposed to you in front of your dad and he thought I was joking?" Yusuke snickered.

Keiko shot him a glare and corrected, "Or maybe the time you finally came clean about being Spirit Detective? That was a nice moment."

Unaware of the quarrel, Yukina spoke up, "I think my favorite memories are meeting the girls for the first time outside of the Tournament stadium, seeing Kazuma with his kitten, and getting advice from Hiei. I almost felt like a sister talking to her big brother!"

Mai felt Hiei stiffen beside her, but thankfully Kurama jumped in. "Meeting Reika, saving my mother, and seeing Hiei fall out of a tree are among some of my dearest memories."

"Hiei fell out of a tree?" Mai asked, trying hard to hide her huge grin but failing.

"Yeah, fell right out and landed on his ass on the ground," Kuwabara chuckled.

"Shut up, fool, it was that damned demon whistle."

"I am so happy to have met Shuichi and found out about Kurama," Reika said, winking at her boyfriend. "And I also really enjoyed the night with the girls and the sake."

"What about you, Mai?" Yukina asked kindly.

The blonde thought for a few moments before answering, "The night at Genkai's when we all first came together, the night of the competition when we all were there and got to dance afterwards, and pretty much whenever I have been with Hiei, not including the first few weeks when he was a major dick."

He shoved her with a playful smirk, but didn't argue the insult, knowing it to be truthful.

"How 'bout you, Shrimp?"

The fire demon stared at him like he was an idiot and said, "I should think it would be obvious what I am most happy about."

"Just being happy at all is an accomplishment for Hiei, don't make him try to express that happiness too," Kurama pointed out with a chuckle.

"Watch it, fox."

"The troops have completed their training."

"Then we are ready to go?"

"We will move out with the sun."

"Perfect."

"So how are Reika, Keiko and Yukina fairing at Genkai's?"

"Keiko is alright, I guess. I mean, she would rather be home, but it's not unpleasant," answered Yusuke.

Kuwabara smiled and replied to Mai's question, saying, "Yukina has been staying with Genkai for a while now, so it's like going home in a way."

"Reika is well. Quite worried already I think, but she has never had to do this before," Kurama answered with a frown.

Mai nodded and glanced down at her hand which was intertwined with Hiei's, lying in his lap as they sat on the window seat of her living room. She lifted their joined hands, kissing the back of his before holding it to her chest. The fire demon could feel the steady beating of her heart pounding beneath her skin.

The group stayed up talking for a long time. Kuwabara fell asleep after some time, Yusuke falling not too long after that. Even Kurama was nodding off at a point. As the redhead was sleepily reading a book, Hiei decided it was safe enough to act freely.

"Koi," he muttered before pressing a kiss to her temple.

"Hiei," she whispered back. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

The fire demon watched their still joined hands rising and falling as her chest did with her even breaths. "Why did you change your mind about me?"

"Honestly, everything changed for me pretty early on. That day you found me in my bathroom, crying because of what was going on with Kazai. I had always felt so alone. A hanyou who wasn't sure which world she truly belonged in. A daughter whose mother didn't want her. A scared girl who had been enslaved. But then you came in and I didn't feel alone anymore. I felt safe and like I was where I should be. Then I kissed you and the way you reacted… It was like you needed me. Like I was someone important. It may have been rather physical at that point, but still, you were so unlike almost everyone else in my life. You wanted me and I was safe with you. That afternoon and that kiss changed my mind about you and it changed my life."

"And even after all the problems we have had?"

"They didn't matter. None of the bad things that have happened between us, none of the times we have been angry with each other or our situation have changed anything. I still feel like that day and even more than that now."

"And my past?"

"Your past means only that you are who you are today. I don't care how many creatures have met their end at your hand. I don't care that you were born of means not approved of by your mother's people. I do not care about the revenge you sought out or any of those dark things. Because I understand not being accepted by your family and you understand being seen as detrimental to your people. We relate on those levels, and I cannot blame you for a second trying to become that violent person the Ice Maidens pegged you as from birth. I cannot blame you for wanting to validate them, to justify casting you off and to prove them right instead of accepting that you're not that person and that they just wouldn't give you the chance. And you know what? I think that everything that you had to endure taught you how important love is."

Hiei's face turned to one of shock and he could only open and close his mouth, searching unsuccessfully for a response.

"If you had always grown up knowing love, how could you ever see how much it means? You know what it is to never feel it for people or from them. So I imagine that what we have means all that much more. Do you remember when I told you I loved you?"

"Of course I do," he answered, lifting his free hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It gave me… you gave me purpose again. A bigger, more meaningful purpose than border patrol. I got by on watching over the border and aiding Mukuro and through her camaraderie. But there was still a shallowness to that happiness. It's not like now."

"And I think that it has been so life altering and so powerful because we've been rather love deprived creatures," she said, nuzzling his neck gently. "I could be wrong, but I feel like to have something you never had but always longed for makes it that much better."

"You are the greatest thing to happen in my life," the fire apparition whispered, holding her closer to him.

"And you in mine."

Hiei looked down at his beautiful mate, curled up in his arms. He would do anything for her wellbeing, her happiness. He was truly happy for the first time in his existence with her. He never wanted to think of life without her. But he was potentially running out of time to let her know what she meant to him. If one of them were to perish, the chance would be gone. She could be gone before she had ever heard it. It was bad enough that their mating meant nothing in the world they found themselves in, but the absence of the words describing just what she was to him was even worse.

With a nervous inhalation, Hiei opened his mouth to speak.

Mai watched her mate's face, full as it was of nerves and apprehension. He froze however, before the worlds he meant to say could leave his mouth. His expression turned to one of seriousness and urgency. His eyes still held a hint of worry, but were dominated by determination. His Jagan eye glowed beneath his bandana before the light faded and her mate spoke, his voice solemn and heavy.

"The time to fight has come."


End file.
